Endings and Beginnings
by dave-d
Summary: Graduation time has come. What will that mean for Sousuke's and Kaname's futures? Will the two go their separate ways, or decide to stay together?
1. one

**A/N:**

_This story may deviate from canon, if such a change is necessary for plot particulars._

_Of note, this story uses the framework of the movie _'Say Anything' _as a starting point. Many common happenings are borrowed, as are some lines and some general concepts._

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"There will be a ceremony. Otherwise, it will simply be another night"

Sousuke sat with his friends aboard Da Danaan. The group of SRT members and submarine crew were observing one of their post-mission rituals: black coffee and steaks. Unlike them, he chose a glass of ice water and a protein bar.

"Come on, Sousuke! You're graduating in a few days. A number of years ago, and you never would have guessed that you would be going to high school at all." Kurz dumped a whole jar of sugar into Melissa's cup while she was busy shouting for another steak.

"_Shit. _You should be feeling happy, if only because they let you finish. As it was, Amalgam took out the whole school, right?" Melissa exchanged cups with Kurz. "It was no secret why they did it. Just the same, they let Kaname return, and you with her."

"And you should be proud of what you accomplished, Sousuke." Tessa walked over and pulled up a seat. She didn't usually join the team for their meal, making it a habit to head back to the bridge or her cabin after debriefing. "The grades you got in your courses were real ones. Mithril's money and influence did not buy _those."_

"I don't think there was enough money left in the Finance department, after they paid off all of Sousuke's damages!" Kurz' comment had everyone but Tessa and Sousuke laughing or smiling.

"The teachers and students who originally ridiculed you or avoided you, they all seemed to come around after they realized who you really were, and how you had risked your life for the city, right?" Tessa said, making a face at Kurz. As usual, he was not helping matters.

Sousuke didn't answer. He knew that Tessa would _not_ like the words that had been on the tip of his tongue. More than anything else, he had fought for Kaname. Had fought and lost, at first. It had taken much more fighting and many more lives to win that war, gaining her back in the process.

"You really _are_ leaving on a pretty good note, aren't you?" Melissa stuck her knife into the table top when Kurz tried another switch. "A much better note than the one you arrived on, any way." She smiled, remembering many of the trials and tribulations Sousuke had faced, trying to fit in with normal teenagers. The picture of him handcuffed to a metal folding chair never failed to bring a smile to her face.

"Yes," Sousuke ran his hand through his hair. He was exhausted. It had been a particularly grueling mission, and he hadn't managed more than two hours of sleep per night for the past week. "I suppose that is correct." He rubbed his eyes. His last days of school were coming up. It would be best if he didn't sleep through them.

"You suppose?" Kurz laughed. "When you got back to school…" Kurz skipped a beat when he saw the painful look on his friend's face. Sousuke had more accurately gone back to class. The students were using a large warehouse as their meeting place, while the remnants of Jindai High School were being bulldozed down and a new structure was breaking ground. "When you went back to class, they stopped looking at you as the freak with a fetish for guns and bombs. They knew who you really were, and they thought you were cool. Didn't they?" He chuckled wickedly. "From what I hear, you could have had any girl you wanted, _heh heh heh heh_."

Tessa gave Kurz another rude look before realizing what she had done. Looking away, she pretended to read the mess menu just hung up on the wall by one of the cooks.

"But, there _is_ a girl on your mind, is there not?" Lt. Clouzot smiled and nodded his head knowingly. He had run afoul of Kaname Chidori's forceful side on a number of occasions, but had no doubt that the girl had a soft spot for a certain young SRT member. "How is Miss Chidori treating you, by the way? I didn't notice any new scars when you were putting on your combat gear." He was also certain that Sousuke benefited from having a hard head.

"She is being difficult. Her actions make no sense." Sousuke frowned. Something as complex as Arbalest, he did not fully understand. That was OK. No one did. But, other people seemed able to understand human behavior. It bothered him that he did not.

"So, are you ever going to actually ask her out on a date?" Kurz grinned. "Or are you just going to get her drunk after graduation and have your way with her. _Heh heh heh heh _**owwwwwww**…." The long-haired sniper grimaced when Mao clobbered him with a large porterhouse stake, medium rare.

"Another steak over here, Cookie!" Melissa dropped the damaged cut of meat on Kurz' lap. "Sousuke, you and I both know that the you and Kaname have strong feelings for one another. I hope that you also realize that Kaname has been through a lot. After everything that happened, she might feel that she betrayed you somehow. If not, she might still feel that she is responsible for some of the things that happened to you."

Tessa watched Sousuke intently, but said nothing. She almost wished that Sousuke would give up on Kaname. But, she told herself that she should be happy that he returned to Mithril. No one had been overly surprised when he had disobeyed orders, striking off on his own to rescue Kaname. That action hadn't cost Mithril the war, but under different circumstances, it could have. But, just when things looked bleak… as smaller rogue groups took to looking at Mithril as if it were a wounded animal on its last leg… he had returned when they needed him most.

"I do not blame Kaname for anything. I have told her that. There is no reason that she should not believe me." Sousuke unwrapped a second protein bar and sat staring at it. "I have also apologized. She chose to go with…." Sousuke looked over at Tessa. He did not need to speak her brother's name. "She was taken away, because my partner and I failed." The partner he referred to was the A.I. in Arbalest. "I fought my hardest. I have told her that as well."

"Women are very complex." Master Machinist Jorgensen gave a brisk salute to Tessa and Melissa. "No, let me amend that. _People_ are complex. Her head may hear one thing, but her heart believe another. That kind of thing happens all the time." He pushed a long lock of blonde hair away from his eyes. He had learned that truth any number of times before joining Mithril. His heart was spread across many ports, from Rotterdam to Cape Town. "If not that, she may have made a decision about you that she cannot put in words… or cannot bring herself to tell you."

"Good or bad," Lt. Clouzot added.

"I understand." Sousuke broke off a piece of his food and tossed it about in his hand. There were things he did not want to think about at the moment. Pushing those thoughts aside, he took a more optimistic stance. "I have done some thinking. What do you all think. Would the movies be a good second date?"

"Yes," Tessa blurted that out, picturing herself arm in arm with Sousuke, strolling towards some cinema. "But… well… did you ever really have a _first_ date?" She rubbed her fingers together under the table. She blushed when she saw Melissa glance knowingly in her direction.

"Affirmative. We did. When I returned after the final conflict, and she returned to Tokyo, she instructed me to join her at a restaurant. We ate food together. We spoke about each other's experiences. It was a physical event. It was also an emotional event. As such, I would consider that occurrence to be a date" rubbing his eyes, he felt compelled to clarify further. "While many of our other times together had emotional or physical components, I do not consider them dates."

"Hah! You got that all wrong Sousuke old buddy!" Kurz smiled. "_Any _girl would consider that time in Khanka a date. Or, that bit aboard the cruise ship. Not to mention that fun time when Gauron hijacked the sub, or the wonderful day when you brought that Full Monty Virus to class."

"That wasn't a date, _draugas_." Lt. Valkovic ignored the nonsense that Kurz was spouting. Shaking his head, he sighed. Relatively new to the Special Responses Team, the Lithuanian born commando was still getting used to the walking conundrum known as Sagara, Sgt. Sousuke. He had become fond of the younger soldier, but, Sousuke's inexperience and naivete regarding women set his teeth on edge. "That was more like a meeting. At most, it was going out as friends."

"What is a date, then?" Sousuke wrapped his hand around his glass but didn't drink.

"A long shower. Nice new clothes. Cologne. Fine food. A place alone. Kissing. Your hands on her breasts. Better yet… **ouch**… will you stop doing that!" Kurz glowered at Melissa who feigned innocence after stomping hard on his foot.

"A date is a pre-arranged get together," Sgt. Yun said. A very serious man of few words, he felt comfortable around Sousuke, who acted in similar fashion. "But, it is more than that. It should have the possibility of leading to love."

Tessa dropped her knife. It hit her plate, making a loud noise. She hurried to pick up the utensil, feeling her face grow warm. She thought about excusing herself, but felt that such an act would be cowardly. "Love," she whispered to herself. "I wish I knew what _that_ felt like…." She couldn't help but sigh. In a way, she could guess what it was like. She remembered how she had felt, and what she had fantasized about, back when Sousuke had saved her during the _Pacific_ _Christmas_ incident.

"Crap." Melissa's plate shook as she worked fiercely to cut her steak. "I've been on too many dates to count. I definitely do _not_ go looking for love. What is love, anyway?" She laughed. "We could talk all night, and never agree on anything!"

Kurz looked at Melissa with a look akin to sympathy. She saw it, and looked away angrily. Tessa lowered her eyes, having listened to a drunken Mao talk about her life on numerous occasions. Kurz shed his playboy person for a moment. He sat tapping his fork against his plate, thinking about his own life. He looked over at Sousuke, wondering if his friend was destined for a similar existence. He had given his heart away once, and had been burned for it. He didn't want to think about his girlfriend, her illness, or the doctor that she ran away with.

Other Mithril soldiers spoke up, defending the idea of love. Sousuke was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to pay attention to what everyone said. When there finally was a moment of silence again, he said "I will ask Kaname out on a date." He set his jaw, a faraway look in his eyes. "I owe her a great deal. And… we…" He closed his mouth, reticent to describe the unspoken feelings he had for a blue-haired girl.

"It's not about debt and obligation, _mon_." Sgt. Wailer yawned, and then shook out his long braided hair. "Hell. No woman is going to want _that. _Not even drunken Mao." He had to duck when a salt shaker came flying towards his face. "If you're after love and not just sex or friendship… you better let her know that you care."

"I am certain that she knows that already." Sousuke sat up straighter. "I believe that she cares as well. We have never put things into words. That does not negate the feelings, does it?"

"Damn straight." Sgt. Estrella laughed. "Words just get in the way. If you really want to show her that you care, give her a good bouncing on the bedsprings. If she cries out your name, that's as good as love."

"Oooooooh, Sousuke…" Kurz imitated Kaname. "You're _sooooo_ big." He grinned, seeing the look on Tessa's face. "Oh… ohhh… **ohhhh**… Sousuke… Souuuuus-kaaaaay… you big idiot…" He moved his foot instinctively, just in time. Melissa had put a lot of force into that stomp. "**Ohhhhhh**… Sousuke… you big jerk… harder…." He noted a number of guys laughing, spurring him on. "Ohhh… don't you stop… don't _ever_ stop… Soooo… ussss… kayyyyyyyyy… ohhh **ahhh**… you big stupid head…"

A number of guys slapped the table. Sonar officer Chen, a lovely slender woman of Korean descent, turned to speak to Dr. Lucy Osler, the TDD-1's new doctor. "He is such a drama queen." Her comment regarding Kurz had Melissa slapping the table top.

Sousuke looked down at his hands. His fingers were interlaced together. Strange. He didn't remember doing that. "Captain, is this true? Do girls equate sex with love?" Sousuke twitched. "If so…."

"Eeep!" Tessa tensed up. Her reaction clearly said 'why are you asking me?' Struggling to maintain her composure, she tried to answer in a high-pitched voice. "Well, no, I don't think so…." She stopped, feeling foolish saying that, never having any experience with dating, much less intimate relations.

"If it did, Mao would be in love with half of the Pacific Branch…" This time Sgt. Wailer reacted too slowly. A pepper shaker careened of his head, landing a few tables over.

The overhead speaker system came to life. Cmdr. Mardukas requested Tessa's presence on the bridge. The young silver-haired girl looked relieved when she left the table.

"No, Sousuke." Melissa stood up, walked over, and took the seat that Tessa vacated. "People in love often have sex. But, many people having sex are not in love." Her face went very serious. "I think you're wrestling with a bigger issue, aren't you?"

"Affirmative." Sousuke was silent for a moment, ignoring the banter that broke out amongst his fellow soldiers. "I do not think that I am worthy of someone like Kaname Chidori." He felt a sense of gratitude when everyone at the table tried to talk him down. "Perhaps my statement is not entirely true. However, I have doubts that I would be good for her." Sousuke didn't go further and say 'I wonder if I would be good for anyone', even though he was thinking that. "If a day came when I was no longer needed to protect her…"

"Well, she _is_ the brainy sort, and you aren't the sharpest sword on the rack." Estrella shrugged when some of the others took offense at that. "Well, it's true, isn't it? They are somewhat of an odd pair."

"You are far to prone to violence, Sousuke." Kurz made a 'tsk tsk' noise as he shook his head.. "Not the type of guy that a sweet… quiet… reserved girl like Kaname deserves." Kurz winked. "On the other hand, at least she knows that you can take a beating. She might kill a few guys before finding someone else like you!"

"Don't forget one thing." Clouzot spoke in a very stern voice. "While a lot of the nonsense that took place at the school when you first arrived was your fault, the really bad stuff that followed was because of her. She's still Whispered. Just because Amalgam has been put in their place doesn't mean that someone else won't pick up the baton, _comprendre?" _

" That's right." Said, grinning. "If what I hear is true, the one at risk is _you." _He still wanted to see what a halisen looked like. The paper fan figured greatly in some of the stories he had heard. "No. The real danger exists for whatever place you stay, or whatever people the two of you hang around." Knowing what he did, he was only half joking. The burly man was well aware of the situation with the Whispered. His sister was one. That was one of the reasons that he had joined the organization

"Hah! You got that right." Jorgensen chuckled. "I heard about your adventures at that school. You two do not belong in a civilized country. It is a wonder that the Princpal… no, the Japanese government… didn't banish you long ago. Perhaps you should buy some jungle property in Africa or South America… build a sturdy shack… and start your own little tribe." He touched glasses with Sgt. Wailer.

"Not a good idea," Kurz said, pursing his lips. "The rain forests are endangered as it is. What might happen with a bunch of little Sousuke's and Kaname's running loose?"

"That might not be so bad, all things considered. While Kaname Chidori might be bipolar and too unpredictable for my tastes, you could certainly do a lot worse. She is one fine looking young lady." Sgt. Estrella blew a kiss towards the ceiling. "She's got the brain of an intellectual, trapped in the body of a runway model or game show hostess."

"I also think that you could also do a lot better." Jorgensen spoke seriously this time. "Believe me, it doesn't hurt to have some stability in your life. If you leave the service again, it might be nice if he could cuddle up with some quiet little piece of fluff." He tugged at his scraggly beard. "Some little lady that doesn't have a bulls-eye on her back."

"He's got a point, you know." Sgt. Wailer said. "The girl is quite a looker… but there are other beauties out there. There's one in the room right now. Mao probably gets wet ever time you step out of your A.S. suit." He didn't flinch when he saw Melissa's glare. He held the only other spice shaker at their table. "I know that the two of you have been through a lot together. But, she's your first girl. The only one that you let yourself care about. Maybe even the only one who ever paid you much attention. You shouldn't let something like that cause you to make a choice you might regret."

"I think you assholes have said enough." Melissa stood up and put her foot on her chair. He hands went to her hips. Tossing her lit cigarette at Wailer, she spoke in an uncharacteristically maternal manner. "Sousuke's confused enough as it is."

"Lighten up, Sis." Kurz pushed his plate away from him and stood up. "They're just trying to look out for Sousuke. Nobody wants to see him get hurt."

"I have been hurt on numerous occasions," Sousuke stated, standing himself. "It is not a problem." He was not as confident as he sounded. The words of his comrades had gotten him to thinking.

He didn't know just what would be best for Kaname, or for himself.

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The rental car was caught up in traffic.

"It's a good thing that we left early. We wouldn't want to be late to your graduation." Shunya Chidori steered around an illegally parked car. "Your speech sounds like it's coming along well."

"Daddy!" Ayame sat in the back seat, dressed in a lovely cream-colored dress. The look on her face was far from pretty. "I've already heard it about a _bazillion_ times." She spoke in English, not knowing the Japanese word for 'bazillion'.

"Well then, I guess I should start over from the beginning." Kaname grinned, giving her sister a quick smile. "'Well, it's almost over now…'" She shook her head. "No, that part still doesn't sound right."

"Told you!" Ayame turned up her nose.

"Well, I don't know. It sounds alright to me." Shunya shrugged. "In any case, as long as you speak from your heart, things should go fine. I know that your mother would have been very proud. Kaname Chidori, Valedictorian of Jindai High School. Accepted at Tokyo University."

There was a slight catch in the bespectacled man's voice. Kaname had grown adept at subtle cues. Her father had his heart set on her coming to America with him. He had coerced her into applying to a number of colleges relatively close to his and Ayame's home. So far she had lucked out. Having promised her father that she would go back with him if she won a scholarship, she could ignore the acceptance letters that she had received so far.

"Yes. You certainly have set the bar high, Kaname." Shunya smiled. "Ayame, you have your work cut out for you, if you want to do yourself _that_ proud."

"Great," Ayame grumped under her breath. "Freaking brainiac."

"Ayame Chidori!" The car swerved slightly when Shunya spoke. "You should be lucky to be like your sister when you are her age."

"_Geez. _I'm just joking, Daddy!" Ayame threw her hands up.

Kaname bit her lip and swallowed hard. Her father's words had her thinking about the secret that she had never told him or Ayame. Neither knew that she was Whispered. They probably had no idea what that term meant. If by some miracle she did end up getting a scholarship to a college in the States… especially one that gave her a chance to live at home with her family… she would have to break to truth to them. Glancing at her father out of the corner of her eye, she felt a growing sense of guilt.

She should have mentioned something long ago.

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"I believe that this must be the first photograph of Sousuke." Kurz said.

"Huh? What have you been smoking?" Melissa snapped the picture, taken outside of the graduation site..

"I mean, this must be the first picture where he's not in some kind of uniform." Kurz decided to live dangerously. He popped the top on one of Melissa's beers he had brought with him and took a long pull. She was too busy fussing over Sousuke to take notice, or so he hoped..

"He looks very nice in his school uni. Every guy should be so lucky." Sgt. Major Mao gave Kurz a haughty look. "You should feel proud, Sousuke. You worked hard to earn this."

"The uniform?" Sousuke asked. It was hard to tell if she was joking or not.

Kurz grinned. Melissa smacked her forehead, and then smiled. "Very funny. You do look really good, though."

"I am not certain that I did earn anything." Sousuke ignored Kurz, who pretended to swoon at the sight of him. "Some of it may be gratitude, as the school personnel and a number of government officials realize that I risked my life to protect Tokyo." He shook his head. Now was not the time to think about his loss at the hands of Leonard. That might lead him to think about Kaname's voluntary abduction.

"You should feel proud about that, too." Tessa put in. She sighed, staring at Sousuke for a moment, before looking away. She thought about the time that she had spent at Jindai High School, feeling a sense of regret, knowing that the buildings were gone. It had been a brief but wonderful experience, much to Cmdr. Mardukas' dislike.

"I was just doing my duty." Sousuke stood at attention when Tessa started walked over and began working a flower through his collar. "In the battle… and in my attendance at school."

"Uh huh. I don't think it was _all _duty, was it?" Kurz sulked when he asked Tessa if she had a flower for him, only to hear her say 'no'. "I doubt anyone ordered you to get close with such a cuddly young thing." The look he gave a perturbed looking Tessa said 'next time remember my flower!'

"No. It was not." Sousuke stepped away from the Mithril van and began to walk across the street.

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"Looks like they went all out."

Shunya spoke as he turned the wheel, driving where a helmeted policeman signaled him to go. The parking areas were filling up quickly.

"They sure did!" Ayame pointed. Graduation was being held in a large amphitheater. The sides of the building were hung with large rolls of fabric in the school colors. Rows of Greek nude sculptures were clothed in the robes and mortarboards that the students were wearing. Large bunches of flowers were everywhere. The whole city was behind the graduating class of the beleaguered school.

"Yes," Kaname said. She sounded glum. There was good reason for that. Great waves of guilt washed over her. There had been donations sent in from numerous people. The efforts were all meant to put a bright and happy shine on the day, in an attempt to balance out the tragedy that had befallen the school. Jindai High School had been destroyed because of her. It had been struck in dastardly fashion. Leonard had thought that such a personalized attack would break her will and make her agree to his terms. It hadn't. As a result, there had been more destruction… more debts laid on her soul. Only when Sousuke had been defeated, and his life was used as a bargaining chip, did she give in.

**Sousuke. **

Kaname thought of him as she watched one of the police officers assigned to provide security. The man was armed, but with more than a baton or small caliber revolver. There was an SMG slung around his back. Looking up on the roof of nearby buildings, she caught sight of a number of men with rifles. The city was not going to take any chances, it appeared.

Kaname smiled briefly. She wondered what Wraith must be doing, seeing that so many rooftops were being patrolled. Maybe she would dress up as a student and blend in some how. No. It would make more sense forher to simply forge a guest pass and sit in the audience.

Her thoughts went back to Sousuke again. It was his heroism that had won the hearts of their classmates. It had been the petition signed by all of the classes that had allowed him and her back into school. He had gone on to make a confession in front of the assembled school, without actually mentioning Mithril by name. He had confirmed that the terrorists had been after Kaname, but asked everyone to respect her secret. As a result, no one ever asked why they had been after her, not even Kyouko, Ryo, or Maya.

Kaname had wanted to tell everyone. She wanted to bare her soul. But, Sousuke thought it was best not to publicize her special nature. It was bad enough that secret organizations had been after the Black Technology that Whispered carried. What would happen if greedy businessmen or government agencies followed suit?

At least no one thought of her as a freak. They might have, if they knew the truth. As it was, she was still the subject of scorn by some. Sousuke may have destroyed lockers and the like, but Kaname had destroyed the entire school. It was her good fortune that a majority of the students were sympathetic, knowing that Kaname had done nothing wrong herself. She just hoped that the vocal minority would not cause some ugly scene during her speech, or when she walked up to accept her diploma.

She swallowed hard. As much as those issues weighed heavily on her heart, there was something else to worry about. Her father and Ayame knew nothing about Sousuke. No, that wasn't entirely true. His name had appeared in the media, but Mithril had somehow been able to limit what was said, and how often it was repeated. Her family knew nothing about their relationship. When she had been given permission to live alone in Tokyo, such permission had not come without provisos. One rule had been told to her in no uncertain terms. 'No Boyfriends'.

"Kaname, why so quiet? And why the long face? This is your big day! Your future starts the moment you walk off the stage." Her father brought the car to a stop. He straightened his tie as he looked over at his eldest daughter.

"She probably doesn't want to leave high school," Ayame piped in, waving her hand as if she was a font of wisdom and experience. "I've heard people say that kids should enjoy high school. It's the best years of their life."

"Yes, that's it." Kaname tried to smile. That answer ought to deflect any more probing from her father or sister. "I had a lot of good times. There are people that I will miss very much." That much was true. But, it did not wipe away the unspoken truths.

"Well, we all go through that." Shunya got out of the car and opened the door for Kaname, and then Ayame. "There will be more good times, and new friends. And, there is no reason that you have to forget about your old friends. I'm sure some of them will be in the Tokyo area, _if _you attend Tokyo University."

Kaname felt even more on edge. She did not want to think about college at the moment. Things would be hard enough for her if she stayed in Japan. Sousuke had not applied to any schools, and Mithril might no longer have the influence and funds to bring to bear that they once had. He had assured her that she was still under the organizations protection, and said that he had asked Tessa to intercede on his behalf, so that he could find some job or position at any college she attended.

If things worked out for the best, his superiors might allow that, and even find some way to get him enrolled as a student. But, Sousuke was still a valued commodity, even more now than before. The mercenary group was slowly rebuilding its forces, and Sousuke Sagara remained the only pilot capable of operating Arbalest. The ARX-7 was the only Lambda Driver capable Arm Slave in service. A number of enemy Venom craft had been captured, but no pilots had been found in the ranks of available soldiers. In a nutshell, Sousuke could be taken out of her life at the drop of a hat. Either that, or he would resign to be by her side.

That was another huge source of pressure. They had been through a lot together. He meant the world to her, now. They may have shared a lot together, but there was no way to know whether of not she might grow tired of his ways. Sousuke had made great strides, but was still so different.

Something else was nagging at her. After all that had happened, she found herself wanting nothing more to do with Mithril. She knew that she was being irrational and unfair, but any memory of that organization reminded her of Amalgam and the things that they had done. Amalgam also reminded her of the things that she had done, and the things that were done to her. Sousuke would always remind her of Mithril, even if he left the organization.

"Maybe she's sad about leaving a boyfriend." Ayame's sly little jibe struck harder than a cruise missile.

Kaname froze in mid step. It looked as if she were about to fall over. Her face grew warm, and she hoped beyond hope that she wasn't blushing. "N-No… of course not… ah _hah hah hah hah hah hah_…" She swallowed hard. Her father may not know what that laugh meant, but his antennas would be up now. She had to be very careful. "I don't have a boyfriend."

Was that a lie? She and Sousuke held hands wherever they went. They had grown closer, and she had found herself thinking about him more and more. No, it was more than that. She had no choice to be honest with herself. She was in love with that scruffy idiot. There was a very good chance that he felt the same way, as much as he might understand such feelings. But, they had never actually professed their feelings to one another. No one at school spoke of them as a couple, at least not when either of them could her. The two of them had never even kissed, much less done anything more intimate.

"I know we had our rule," Shunya said, taking off his glasses to polish them. "And, I would be very impressed if you managed to follow it all these years." He put his glasses on and looked over at Kaname. "But, I would understand if you acted like any other young woman."

"Daddy?" Kaname's eyes widened.

"I was a teenager too, Kaname. I guess that was one reason I made the rule in the first place. I knew all to well what went on with some boys and girls." Shunya brushed some lint off of his tailored suit. "I didn't want you distracted. I worried that your grades would suffer. But, her you are, Valedictorian." He put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm very proud."

"Me too!" Ayame chirped, feeling left out.

Shunya's face grew more serious for a moment. "I also didn't want to see you get hurt, pumpkin."

Ayame snickered. _'Pumpkin'_. It was just too funny! She stopped smiling, and not because of the look that her sister gave her. She had her own pet names.

"I'm OK, Daddy." Kaname had to fight back tears. She hadn't really every been OK, after she learned about her curse. The only good thing bout being Whispered had been the feelings that she developed for Sousuke. But, to be honest, she would gladly trade him for a chance to be a normal woman and lead a normal life. That truth made her feel small and weak, as well as ungrateful. In any case, there was no going back. There was no cure for her condition. "It wasn't easy, but I got through it all." She had. But, there had been more than just school to deal with. "It wasn't like junior high."

That was true. She had seriously thought about killing herself then. That was worse than being in danger of being killed. Her friends at Jindai had been a big help. She truly would miss them.

Sousuke had helped her too, in ways she hadn't fully realized at first. She had stumbled on a number of truths during the parts of her captivity where she had time on her hands and nothing to do but think. Yes. She had done a lot of soul searching then. 'That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger' might explain a lot of her earlier experience with a certain clueless sergeant. It also held true for the hard times they suffered during the fighting between Mithril and Amalgam. But, Sousuke had also touched her heart in ways she had never allowed before. It was quite possible that no one else… and nothing else… might have gotten her to lower those walls completely.

What should she do? Should she admit her relationship with Sousuke to her father? How was she going to handle seeing him today? He had wanted to be by her side when possible, but she had told him not too, because her family would be there. That had hurt him… she was sure of it. But he had done what he always does.

He placed her first, and did so without complaining or sulking. He was so different. But, in his own way, he was so wonderful. She would never have to question his courage. There would never be reason to wonder about his loyalty or faithfulness. How many other people could have gone through what he did as a child, only to turn out the way he had? With all that he had done to stand up for her, shouldn't she do the same for him? Wasn't it her obligation to stand by his side, telling everyone how she felt about him? Why was she such a coward in this?

Maybe because she wondered if she was good enough for him. No. Her pride wouldn't let her believe that, ant least not entirely. It was more than that. She was scared that she would lose him some day, juts like she had lost her mother. She didn't want to go through that kind of pain again. No. There was more than that, too. Without her, Sousuke might walk away from Mithril some day, finding the peace he never had in his life. If he stayed by her, what kind of true peace could he ever hope for?

"Yes, you've come a long way, pumpkin. In many ways." Shunya looped his arm through Kaname's. He looked down at Ayame with a fond grin when she scrambled to do the same thing on his other side. "I wish you could have had a better childhood. But, you have so much to look forward to."

Kaname nodded her head, unable to speak.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

"Ooops…"

Tessa stepped funny in her new high heels. She ended up on her keister, sliding down he steps leading to the seating area.

"Captain!" Sousuke moved quickly to help her, giving her his hand. He cocked his head, wondered why the girl looked the way that she did. It wasn't a grimace of pain, or a blush of embarrassment. Oh. "I mean _Tessa_."

"Did you push her, Sousuke?" Kurz said, in mock severity. "Only to get a look up her skirt? Naughty boy. I'm proud of you!" He smiled at his Captain. "Nice panties, Tessa. You… **owwww**…"

Melissa smacked Kurz in the head. She then pushed him down the stairs, grinning a satisfied grin when he bowled over a police officer. He would need some of his famous fast-talking to get out of that one.

Sousuke began to sweat. Not because it was a hot day. Not because his uniform made him overly warm. No, everyone in the vicinity was staring in their direction. Some of the people nearby were students. They simple smiled and looked away. Their faces clearly said 'Oh, it's only Sousuke'. He didn't want anything to go wrong today. Not just for himself, but for the entire school. Everyone had been through enough already. Especially Kaname.

He thought about her. She should be arriving soon, if she wasn't already in the building. Her speech would come before everything else, just after the Principal and Superintendent said their opening words.

"They _are_ nice panties, aren't they?" Melissa whispered in Sousuke's ear. She watched his face closely, and then smiled a large smile seeing his reaction. "It's OK. I won't tell Tessa… or Kaname…"

"Uhhh…" Sousuke began to sweat even more. Unable to help himself, he looked over at Tessa. Immediately thereafter, he scanned the crowd for Kaname.

"You really are such a kid," Melissa laughed, a fond look on her face. She leaned over and kissed Sousuke on the cheek. "We may have a strange way of showing it at times, but we really are proud of you. In many ways." She looked down below, watching Kurz wave his arms as he spoke to the disgruntled officers. "As much as he tries to hide things, I think that Kurz is the proudest of all."

"Thank you," Sousuke answered, not certain how he should feel, and unable to understand just what he was feeling.

"So, what's got you all nervous?" Melissa watched as a number of students who recognized Tessa came over to speak with her. A number of boys were knocking people aside to reach her side. "I know it's not Tessa's panties. Is it because you're here, with so many people? Is it because you're sort of a minor celebrity, or because you will always remind these people of the things that happened to this city?" She paused and thought a moment. "Are you worried what your future holds?"

Melissa thought back to her own high school days. She remembered her family's insistence that she join the military rather than attend college. She wondered what her life might have held, if she had stood up to them at that point. Maybe she would have left then, instead of fleeing a marriage ceremony she never really wanted. She hoped that Sousuke would have a chance to choose his own path at some point. She would be happy if he chose Mithril, But, what she wanted most was for him to find some happiness of his own.

"Affirmative. It may be some of that. I am not really certain." Sousuke ran a hand through his hair, and then frowned. Tessa had made a big deal about combing it for him. He'd be in trouble with her now. That is, if the crowd around her ever dispersed. "I'm just…" The word he was looking for was 'confused'. If not that, then 'worried' or 'uncertain'.

"Is it Kaname?" Melissa nodded when she saw her subordinate's reaction. She forced herself not to lash out violently, when someone passing her on the stairs ran his hand along her backside. It might have been accidental. No. That subsequent grope wasn't. "Excuse me." That was said to Sousuke, not the middle-aged man with a paunch that bent over in pain, Melissa's elbow iimpacting his abdomen. "Where was I?"

Sousuke remained silent. He watched as Kurz pantomimed a knee injury to a group of policemen. He could barely catch the false French accent that his friend used. It was the same one he had affected when approaching Kaname and Kyouko at the start of the Tokyo mission. Those days seemed so long ago. For some reason that he didn't understand, the memory seemed precious to him.

"I know that Kaname has been acting strangely around you lately. But it's more than that, right?" Melissa gave Sousuke a piercing stare. She wanted to get to the bottom of this, in case she could say something that might make Sousuke feel more at ease. "You're not worried that someone might launch an attack tonight, are you? The area is secure. Tessa was able to assign some Mithril forces as well. Clouzot is somewhere nearby in a cloaked M9."

"It is not that." Sousuke had given a disguised agent his weapons bag. It would be secreted underneath the stage. He stared at Melissa in her dress for a moment. He thought back to a time when she wore a different dress. He remembered the rush of adrenalin that he had felt behind the wheel of the small Fiat, as Mao stood up through the sun roof and Kurz leaned out a broken back window. They had waged a gun battle through the streets of Sicily, chased by a number of cars. He hoped that nothing like that happened today. He doubted it would, despite the fact that remnants of Amalgam had survived, and he and his companions had made a lot of enemies outside of the large terrorist groups that they had fought.

Despite all of the danger he had faced, he counted himself very fortunate to have found a family. That's what Kurz and Melissa were to him. Family. He didn't want to think about leaving that family; but, that's what most of the students here today would do, once they made their way to college. Family would still be family, despite that. He did not need to worry about that, too. He already had too much on his mind as it was.

"Do you feel pressured to take some big step in your relationship? Is that why you are so intent on asking her out on an actual date?" Melissa placed her hands together and cracked her knuckles. "Are you afraid that she might simply forget you, once she gets into college? Or, are you worried that HQ might drag your ass away from her for good, forcing you to make a very tough decision?"

"No. I had made that decision before. You are well aware of this." Sousuke thought back to when he had threatened to leave Mithril, angering General Amitt. He remembered setting out on his own to rescue Kaname, leaving Mithril because he was acting against orders. He had later rejoined at Mithril's request, not his own.

"Are you worried about meeting her family? Her father?" Melissa pursed her lips together when she saw Sousuke set his jaw. "Worried that Daddy won't approve of you as her boyfriend?" Her fingers twitched. She imaged herself grabbing Shunya Chidori by the collar and shaking some sense into him.

"There is nothing to worry about in that regard." Sousuke's words came out quickly, with an angry grunt. "I will be introduced in the same fashion that any other random friend might be. She will not purposefully seek me out for such a greeting."

"What?" Melissa's features darkened. Her hand twitched. She shook her head when her hand went to where her combat knife would have been, had she not been dressed in a fancy sequined gown. "How can she…" She scowled. She saw Kurz pointing in her direction. She clearly made out the word 'pushed' on his lips. He was asking for trouble. "Do you want me to have a talk with her?"

Sousuke shook his head. "No. I thank you for your concern. This is something for Kaname to deal with. It is never good to push her." Sousuke spoke sternly. "It is never good to push anyone, it seems."

The police were walking up the stairs in their direction. Kurz walked behind them smiling. He gave Melissa the finger before blowing her a kiss. "I seem to need to use the ladies room," Melissa said, not feeling like talking with the authorities. "I'll catch your ceremony when it starts." With that, she vanished into the crowd as if she had never been there.

Standing alone, Sousuke took everything in. The building. The surging mass of humanity. The decorations. The loud buzz from countless conversations.

He didn't catch any sight of Kaname.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"I can see the future that awaits us. And, that makes me say 'Wait, don't go!'"

Kaname shook her head. It _still _didn't sound right. The point she wanted to make was fine. The high school years were wonderful in their way. No doubt they would all wish to return to such a carefree time. Those that had such a luxury, that is.

"Yes, I like that." Shunya raised an eyebrow looking over at Ayame, who was busy shaking her head and wincing.

"You _do?" _Kaname looked incredulous. "It sounds kind of corny, doesn't it?"

"Yup!" Ayame slapped her hands together, causing her big sister to jump. "Cheesy too."

"It's fine. It shows a sense of humor. Everyone will be able to relate to it." Shunya put on a straight face. "Besides, at this kind of thing, people expect the speech to be… " He grinned when Kaname made her 'hmmmpppfff' noise.

"Yeh," Ayame said. "They won't be disappointed. Well, they will in some ways…" It was fun, joking with her sister. She was very proud of her, but it wasn't time to let her know that yet.

Kaname reached over a railing, grabbed a copy of the program, rolled it up, and smacked Ayame lightly on the head. For a moment, she froze, thinking about her halisen, and how freely she used to chastise Sousuke with it. A lump formed in her throat. "That's it, you little troublemaker." She swung again, but her sister ducked, stepping on a portly woman's foot in the process. Kaname held off while Ayame apologized. While she waited, she chose a different strategy. "Daddy, what is Ayame's pet name now?"

"Hmmm. What? Oh." Shunya grinned. "Well, the newest one is sweet pea." His eyes showed his amusement when Ayame shouted 'hey!'

"Sweet pea? That's so great. I think that's how I'll introduce her to my teachers and friends." Kaname smirked. Looking at her father, she shook her fist at him. "What's with the vegetables, though? Come on Daddy, enter the twenty-first century. _Sheeesh." _

"Old habits die young, I suppose." Shunya sighed. "Your mother started that. I just…" He shrugged. It was hard for him, a day like this. He would have given everything he had, just to have Shizu here today. "She would be very proud of you, you know."

"Yes, I know." Kaname looked up at the cloud-filled sky. She too wished that her mother was still alive. Not just for the obvious reasons, however. Now, with so many decisions awaiting her, she could use a woman's advice more than anything.

Shunya wordlessly adjusted ran a pin on Kaname's blouse. It had belonged to her grandmother, who had also finished first in her class. "Looks like it's time for us to find our seats. The Principal is signaling for you."

Kaname kissed her father, mussed Ayame's hair, and then walked off on her own. As she was approaching the stage, she heard a whistle. Looking over, she saw Kurz Weber standing on the back of his chair waving his jacket to get her attention. When an arm swept out, knocking him to his seat, she was able to see Melissa Mao and… Tessa. Smiling, she waved back. She was happy for Sousuke that he had someone coming to see him graduate. She was even glad to see that the little Captain had come along.

Heading over to a spot just to the side of the lectern, she scanned the group of students from her class. Most smiled or waved. Sousuke, of course, saluted. The more things change, the more they stay the same!

She stopped a moment to stare at him, before looking away and taking her place.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

"Hey, Sagara!"

Ono tugged on Sousuke's sleeve.

"Yes?" Sousuke heard excitement in his friend's voice, not fear or concern. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.

"Party at my place, tomorrow night. You _gotta_ be there, man. A number of girls have be asking if you'd show up. You got the invitation, didn't you?" The young man looked honestly hopeful.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke rubbed the back of his neck. He was gratified and confused by his friend's invitation. It was hard to believe that so many people changed their opinions of him. "Large envelope? Unmarked? Red stain on one corner?"

"Yeh. I spilled some juice on some of them. Oh…" Ono's eyes widened. "Are you saying… damn… you didn't blow it up, _did _you?"

"Affirmative." Sousuke shrugged. Kaname hadn't entirely broken him of that habit.

"You're one of as kind, man. One of a kind." The young man slapped Sousuke on the back. After that, he looked over at Kaname, fidgeting as she awaited her turn to speak. "Don't you think Kaname looks hot there, standing there?"

"Hot? I would not be surprised. It is a warm evening." Sousuke was still clueless in many ways.

"_Geez. _You're going to have to wise up, man. We're not boys anymore. We're _men!" _Ono went to whisper Sousuke's response to everyone within earshot. The loud laughter caused the principal look in their direction. The look on her face made it clear that she would find some way to make them pay, even if they wouldn't be part of her school any more. Everyone quieted immediately.

"I have a great honor in introducing the next speaker." There was no artifice in the Principal's voice. She had gone through difficult times due to Kaname and Sousuke, even before the Amalagam episode; but, she didn't hold any grudges. "She did a wonderful job as Student Council Vice President, and served ably as a Class Representative. Aside from that, she was a star on the girl's softball team, and did tremendous work as a booster for other sports."

"She also got our school destroyed, and caused a number of good kids to get hurt. Not to mention… **awwwww**…."

There was a clearly audible thud. Kaname forced herself to remain still. She was not going to look behind her. As such, she did not see Sousuke step back into his place, sliding his pistol back into hispocket. She also didn't realize that the surrounding students spared little sympathy for the lout who had spoken, but were instead patting Sousuke on the back and calling out their 'attaboys'.

Nevertheless, despite her attempt at decorum, Kaname flashed a quick smile. It grew larger when she heard Melissa whistle loudly. Forcing herself to look serious again, she wondered what she would have done in the past. No doubt she would have flown up the sturdy risers, taken Sousuke by the collar, and thrown him clear off of the stage. So this was growing up….

The Principal decide to cut her introduction short. "I now present to you, Kaname Chidori, Valedictorian of the graduating class.

As the polite round of applause died down, Kaname walked over to the lectern and adjusted the microphone. She took a deep breath before speaking. For a moment, images from her ordeal flashed before her eyes. The last image was that of Jindai High School, laying in ruin. Shaking her head, she tried to purposely remember much better times.

It was time for her speech.

"The real world. Just what is the real world?" Kaname automatically scanned the crowd, looking for familiar faces, and trying to get an idea of the audience's reaction to her. "If you ask any one of us here whether or not we lived in the real world, they would look at you and wonder if you were crazy or something."

"You got that right!" Some wit cried out from the class. A sudden grunt and thud suggested that Sousuke was at work again.

"We're all about to enter the Real World, in a sense, even though some of the things that we've been through have been all too real." Kaname kept her chin up. Memories of Khanka, the _Pacific Christmas, _and the more recent events sprang up before her. She saw a universal look of understanding on the faces in the crowd.

"Whose fault is… **oooooooh**…" That speaker had been in the crowd. A rather self-satisfied Kurz Weber made his way back to his seat. He wasn't the only one to scold the rude man. The people in the gathering were willing to let Kaname speak, even if most of them wondered just who and what she was.

"I have gotten a good idea of what our futures will look like. I have sat in courses at a local University. I have seen some of the things that face our parents and their peers. All I can say is 'Don't Go'! And as we walk together into that future, I want to shout 'Go back'!"

Sousuke stared at Kaname. He knew exactly what she meant. He felt the same way himself. After years of living one kind of life, he had found something different and better at Jindai High School, even though things hadn't started off that way. Now, it was all over. Looking at his fellow students, he saw many of them nodding their heads.

"It's almost over. It's almost all done." Kaname's voice cracked for a moment, but she continued without missing a beat. "We've gone through a lot together. Our time in school had provided us with rigorous training, arming us for the battle ahead." Kaname fought the urge to turn back and salute Sousuke. Her words were not otaku. They were practical and profound. She frowned when she heard a number of students mention Sousuke by name. "Just the same, we have to ask, what's going to happen to us?"

Sousuke was not entirely surprised to find that his hands were clenched. He wondered if Kaname was sending him some kind of message with her speech. No. That would not be necessary. The words held true for any and all of them there on the stage.

Kaname looked over at her father. He nodded his head and clapped his hands together silently. Next to him, Ayame folded her arms across her chest and stuck her nose in the air. "Some of the answers may seem simple. All of us what to be happy, right? Most of us are on our way to college. The guys are probably thinking about getting a car. The girls might be thinking about raising a family. It's all rather exciting." Kaname placed her hands on the side of the podium, steadying herself.

"Hell yeh!" Someone called out. That did not prompt a reprimand from Sousuke.

"For those that know me," Kaname continued. "I am a very ambitious person. Despite the things that I have been through, I remain hopeful and optimistic. Still, I can't help but find myself trembling sometimes. There is no guarantee that any of those things we hope for will come to be. When I think about the future…." She gripped the lectern as if she were holding onto wreckage after a boating accident. "When I think about the future, I am really… scared…"

Sousuke read many things into that statement. Kaname had more things to be frightened about than most other people had. Her future was more uncertain than anyone else's, possibly even his own. As Kaname continued on with her speech, he spoke quietly.

"I would protect you, Kaname."


	2. two

It was done.

They had all received their diplomas. Everyone was now a graduate. High school was behind them now. Who knew exactly what the future would hold?

The students milled around, exchanging high fives, throwing their mortarboards in the air, and trying to find a moment to speak with those people that they might never see again. Some hovered around their family and select friends, finding a place of comfort or security there.

Sousuke sought out Kaname, after asking Tessa and the others to wait for him outside in a spacious serenity garden. He knew that he might be intruding on her personal space, but he felt a need to see her. His feelings were not entirely logical, but they would not be denied.

As he walked up, he saw a smiling Kaname introducing Kyouko to her family. Nearby, Maya and Ryo awaited their turn. Everyone was talking and gesturing in animated fashion. For a moment, he turned and started walking towards the exit. He shouldn't break that mood. This was a special day for them, the kind that only comes once. The same held true for him, but he didn't live in the same world that they did.

He stopped. He turned back again. Even if Kaname might not want to introduce him to her father, she might still need to see him, if only to know that he was thinking about her. It had not been easy, but he had begun to understand more and more about her. He flexed the fingers on one hand, the one he most often used to hold Kaname's.

"I'm a Specialist. I can do this. I will _not_ make a mistake." He squared his shoulders, feeling a small knot of fear in the put of his stomach. He wondered how Kaname might react. He worried how that might make him feel. Walking towards Kaname, he heard Oonuki quip "Uh oh! Sagara is heading over towards Chidori. Better jump for cover."

"**BOOM!**" Someone else said. Sousuke shook his head. He hoped that Kaname's father hadn't heard any of that. He stopped. Someone else had obviously heard it. He hoped it wouldn't lead to some kind of fight.

Tsubaki Issei stood off to one side. His eyes met Sousuke's. While many students might be oblivious to the way that the unlikely relationship between a Student Council Vice President and an unpredictable mercenary had developed, the Karate Club leader was all too aware. Aware and jealous.

The two boys stood looking at one another. The crowd quickly cleared around them. Sousuke caught Kaname's eyes. Her posture screamed 'Oh no… not again… not _now_…' Sousuke held his hand out. If the other young man was set on fighting, it would be a one-sided affair.

Tsubaki nodded his head, reached out his own arm, and clasped Sousuke's hand. "Congratulations. You were a worthy opponent. I find myself wishing that I had taken the time to be a friend." He looked over at Kaname briefly. There were other things that he regretted.

"Congratulations to you as well. You are a good person. I find myself feeling the same way." Sousuke shocked the other boy by grinning. "Should we have one last fight? It will likely be our last opportunity." He even went as far as to smile. "No weapons." "I'd hate to ruin these robes, or my suit."

Tsubaki smiled. That smile soon vanished. He heard a voice that he hadn't wished to hear. "Tsubaki… **_TSU_**… **_BA_**… **_KI_**…" It was Mizuki. She was making her way through the crowd quickly, not caring who she bumped into. "Please…" Tsubaki said, looking at Sousuke.

Sousuke saluted. He then moved to delay Mizuki long enough for the Karate guy to disappear. Her primary objective stolen from her, the girl settled on the perfect payback. Seeing that Kaname was watching, Mizuki wrapped her arms around Sousuke's neck and gave him a fierce kiss. "Oh. I'm sorry. I did that without asking." It was an obvious reference to the kiss that Sousuke gave her, back when he was pretending to be Shirai. She smirked, and headed off.

Sousuke stood still. His yes met Kaname's. He held his hands out in supplication. She didn't seem angry. Her one hand was absentmindedly twisting at her hair. She was nervous. That spurred him to action, as he didn't want to prolong this moment for Kaname. "Kaname, your speech was very impressive." He walked over to join her. He would follow her lead from then on. His palms felt sweaty, and he found that his breathing had sped up.

"Thank you," Kaname said. Her eyes spoke volumes more, and she looked torn by indecision. She wasn't helped by the looks that Kyouko, Maya, and Ryo were sharing. "It was nice, the way that they presented you with that plaque, because of your heroism." The students had asked the school officials for permission to commission an award for Sousuke, who had been wounded in defense of the city.

"During your speech, you looked very hot." Sousuke's pressure to speak had him grasp hold of the first thing that came to mind. Oonuki's comment had popped into his thoughts.

"What?" Kaname's mouth fell open. She reacted to the words, not having time to consider the context.

"_Ahem!_" Shunya Chidori pushed his glasses up on his nose, his face tightening up.

"Oh…" Ayame smiled, and then covered her mouth with her hand.

Kyouko took a picture. Maya and Ryo looked at one another and smiled. Oonuki ran off to spread the news.

"It… yes… I was very warm." Kaname moved swiftly to diffuse the situation. She had had plenty of practice in the past. "I guess I was pretty nervous."

"Was?" Ayame asked, an innocent look on her face.

"Yes. Well. I take it that you are the young man who appeared on the news. The terrorist attack made the media in New York. For obvious reasons, the city was very sympathetic towards Tokyo." Shunya cleared his throat.

"Yes, Sir. I am Sousuke Sagara." Sousuke shook Shunya's hand, looking at Kaname out of the corner of his eye. She flinched, realizing that she hadn't made the introduction.

"He's really cute, Kaname." Ayame looked up at Sousuke. "He's a hero too, isn't he? If you weren't such an idol, maybe you could have a boyfriend like _that." _

Sousuke tensed up slightly. He guessed what Kaname would do. Still, part of him hoped that she might use that opportunity to admit that the two of them had feelings for one another.

"Don't get your hopes up," a familiar voice said in passing. Sousuke looked, seeing a nondescript looking woman walking away. It was Wraith, in disguise.

Kaname began coughing. "Ayame!" She shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "You… _(cough)_… you never _(cough cough)_… you never know…"

"But, he probably already has a girlfriend." Ayame fluffed at her hair. "I think I saw him when he walked in. He was with a girl with silver hair and a ponytail. She was really cute." Kaname's sister had a faraway look. "I think I saw a taller woman kiss him, though. He might be in big trouble." She gave Sousuke a mischievous look.

"He usually is…" Kaname said.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Angel," Kurz said.

Melissa and Tessa pointedly ignored the blonde-haired soldier, who was busy ogling a Greek statue of a long-haired and naked nymph.

"Remind you of someone?" Kurz asked Sousuke, trying to get a rise out of his quiet friend. "Maybe if I colored the hair in blue?"

Sousuke looked over at a different statue. It was a frolicking satyr. "No. But _that_ one looks familiar. At least it would with long blonde hair." He brushed his hands together. "Woman's hair…."

"What?" Kurz was slow in catching on. "**HEY! **I'll have you know…." The sniper went on to proclaim his manhood in an ever-rising voice.

"Looks like our little boy has indeed become a man," Melissa laughed. She looked over at Tessa, who quickly looked away from a statue of two lovers she had found herself staring at. "Tessa?"

"Oh… yes… man…" Tessa blushed up a storm. She lifted her chin, seeing Mao's knowing smile. In an attempt to regain some dignity, she asked "So when will Sgt. Weber become a man?"

"Tessa, you wound me!" Kurz brought both hands over his heart. He grinned. A marksman needed good eyesight. Even though he had been hanging all over Sousuke, he had seen what caused his Captain to go red in the face. "Even so, I am your humble servant. Want me to see if one of the museums in town sells a small version of that statue?" He saw Tessa's eyes go wide. "Did you notice where he was putting his hands?"

"Ummm… no…" Tessa was angry at her reaction.

"Kurz…" Melissa shook her head.

"The same place that Sgt. Major Babe likes me to put _my_ hands." Kurz was in a very rambunctious mood. "Right, Babe?" He stepped aside just in time to avoid a quick kick to the groin.

"If you injure him severely, I will not carry him." Sousuke looked over at Melissa. "It is, after all, my graduation."

"Yes it is," Mao answered. "Now might be a good time to celebrate that fact." Taking a few steps, she reached into a colorful shopping bag. "Each of us has a gift for you." She walked over to Sousuke and gave him a hug. "Here. You don't have one. I'm pretty certain that you'll like it." She handed him a gift-wrapped box.

"What caliber?" Sousuke asked, feeling the weight of the box."

"Don't go ruining things!" Melissa gave Sousuke a playful cuff to the head. She should have known that he would guess correctly.

"Ahhh…" Sousuke's eyes widened when he opened the box. "_PP-2000 _PDW, from the Russian KBP. Simple. Light. Reliable and easy to maintain. Chambered for the NATO Std. 9mm Parabellum, but capable of receiving the Russian 9mm 7N31 +P +AP ammo, leading to superior stopping power characteristics when compared to the FN P90."

"Sounds like he likes it," Kurz said, giving Melissa a two-finger salute.

"Hmm… I'm not sure…" Tessa smiled.

"I do not have one. It is a wonderful gift. Thank you." Sousuke ran a hand through his hair, not knowing what else to say. He was suddenly feeling very emotional. Melissa smiled. No more words were necessary between them.

"Not to be out done…" Kurz walked over and took out a fancy velvet case from his inside jacket pocket. "It's custom made."

Sousuke took the case into his hands and ran his fingers over it. He cocked an eyebrow. "A time piece? With special functions?"

Kurz cursed. Tessa smiled while Melissa laughed. "Did you tell him, Sis?" Kurz shot Mao an accusatory glance.

"Negative," Sousuke said, opening the box. It held a rugged looking but exquisite Breitling wrist watch. "The display…"

"Multi-functional. If you push the top button, it will give your precise GPS coordinates. There is also a tracking device inside, set to a Mithril frequency." Kurz smiled. "Best of all, it's a real chick magnet!"

"**Shit!**" Melissa rolled her eyes.

"Thank you. Another wonderful gift." Sousuke's voice was husky. He hadn't expected anything like this.

"I'm not done yet. These are also custom made." Kurz placed a small box into Sousuke's pocket, before anyone could see what it contained. "You may need them later. Maybe after that party you are planning to attend." The soldier's smile grew to enormous proportions.

"Weber! Were those what I think they were?" Melissa put her hands on her hips.

"Y-Yes…" Mao's tone of voice had Kurz swallowing hard before answering.

"Good. There may be hope for you yet!" Melissa smiled.

"Sgt Weber?" Tessa looked perplexed. Her eyes went large when Melissa whispered in her ear. "But… he…" It took a few moments before the young submarine commander was able to present her gift to Sousuke. "Here Sousuke." She looked down at her feet shyly.

"Captain?" Sousuke caught himself again. "Tessa?" She had handed him a tube of metal with a screw top.

"It… it would help if you opened it…" Tessa said. "I thought you would have taught him that much, Lt. Mao."

"Can't polish a turd!" Melissa said, smiling. She frowned when Kurz gave her a disapproving look.

"You can, if it is a coprolite." Sousuke kept his voice deadpan. "Fossilized excrement."

"Sousuke, it was a joke!" Melissa reached for her cigarettes.

"I know," Sousuke said. "However, I doubt such subject matter is appropriate when I open Tessa's gift." He unscrewed the cap, and then removed a rolled up parchment. The writing was fanciful… calligraphy. There were signatures at the bottom. "Did you do this?"

Tessa nodded. Melissa whistled. Kurz hurried to get a look himself.

"It says…" Sousuke stared hard at Tessa.

"Mithril will exert its influence and get you into the college of your choice. It will fund your necessary credit hours until graduation. Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin worked as hard as I did, trying to gain approval from the High Council." Tessa looked sad for a moment. LT. Cmdr.Kalin had wanted to attend the graduation, but he was hospitalized with a bad case of influenza one day prior to departure." She pulled at her ponytail. "Strangely enough, General Amitt was the strongest advocate."

"Yes, that is somewhat surprising. No doubt the final paragraph is his work. His, or Sir Malory's. It appears that they are not being entirely altruistic." The document contained a proviso. For each year of college he received, he would owe Mithril another year of service. But, the years spent at school would count towards his requirements. "Just the same, it is a fine gift." Sousuke was far from being a pauper. But, on his own, he would never gain entrance to a university for the next session. "Thank you."

"Well done," Melissa complimented Tessa. She was truly impressed. It was a great concession to have wrangled from the Council. But, it had been an even greater accomplishment to keep things secret from her and Kurz.

Tessa smiled, basking in her success. She might not have won Sousuke's heart, but she owed him a great deal. For a moment, she thought back to her brief captivity. It had been Sousuke's reckless landing on the soaring Amalgam sea-plane, in a free-falling Arbalest, that led to her rescue. It hadn't been the only time that he had helped save her life.

Her reminiscence was shattered by Kurz, breaking like a struck mirror. "Hey, Tessa. Did you see this statue of me?" Kurz pointed over at the satyr. "It's anatomically correct, and carved to scale." The private parts on the mythological creature would have made a porn start jealous.

As Tessa stood blushing and Melissa schooled Kurz, Sousuke took a moment to reach in his pocket. He wondered what troublesome gift Kurz might have given him. Package in hand, he blinked rapidly, his fingers twitching.

It was a box of condoms.

"Uhhh…"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Come on. Smile. _Pleeeeeease. _I know you can do it…."

Kyouko held a large fancy camera, a graduation gift from her parents. She had a plaintive begging look as she addressed Sousuke. The young soldier was standing with Shinji, Maya, and Ryo, underneath a weeping tree heavy with blossoms.

"I _am _smiling." Sousuke said doggedly. He brushed away a number of flower petals.

Kyouko shook her head. Shinji grinned. Maya and Ryo looked at one another knowingly.

"If Kaname were here, she could get him to smile." Ryo stated. She grimaced for a moment. She couldn't wait to get out of her tight new heels.

Sousuke looked around the area again. There was no sign of Kaname. She had gone off with her father and sister for something. He had hoped to get a chance to speak with her. There was something that he wanted to ask.

"Yes, I think I might actually have seen him smile around her once." Maya looked down, frowned, and unbuttoned another button on her blouse. That felt better. It would also look better in the photo. "If necessary, she could threaten him with that paper fan of hers."

"We want him smiling, not battered and bruised, right?" Shinji stood up for his friend. For some reason, he had become somewhat more vocal after the destruction of the high school.

"_Do_ we?" Ryo kicked off her shoes, smiling. Her feet wouldn't be in any of the pictures.

"**Kyouko!**" A flash went off. Kyouko had taken a picture of Ryo's shoeless feet.

"I'll send a copy to everyone," Kyouko said. "Maybe even the school officials." That remark had everyone chuckling. Soon they too removed their footwear, including Sousuke. More flashes followed.

A number of other friends walked up in time to be included in the photo shoot. All of them tried to get Sousuke to smile, but the results were disastrous. He looked best with his serious half-grin. After that, the group moved together, speaking lightly, looking for various friends and teachers. Ryo, Maya, and some of the others had brought their yearbooks, intent on getting remembrances they hadn't gotten during class.

"Oh. Come on everybody. There's Kaname." Kyouko pointed, and then hurried to where her friend was walking with her father and sister. "Hurry up everyone. We need to get pictures with her. Ka…na…mayyyyyyyy!"

Sousuke swallowed hard, seeing Kaname run towards them all. He had stuck his hand in his pocket, bumping against the package that Kurz had given him. He began to sweat. If she found out what was in his jacket. If there was some way that the Whispered could read minds. If she reached in his pocket looking for something, like she sometimes did.

"Hurry up, Kaname. Come on, stand over there next to Sousuke." Kyouko checked the settings on her camera.

"Kaname," Sousuke felt his throat tighten when he spoke. She had taken off her robes and had been wearing a rather nice floral pattern dress underneath. Her hair had been elaborately arranged, and she looked so beautiful to him at that moment. He had to fight the urge to grab her hand.

"Uh… OK… Ky…" Kaname looked over at her father briefly, before standing next to Sousuke. Again, she felt conflicting urges. "Hey, Sousuke." Looking at him in his well tailored suit, she held her breath. He looked so handsome to her, no matter what other people might think. He stood so tall, and so strong.

"Kaname… I…" Sousuke was interrupted.

"No talking. Look at the camera. Smile!" Kyouko took more group photos. "OK. Let's get one with just Sousuke and Kaname. You two spent so much time together."

"Kyouko! _Shhhh_." Kaname was relieved to see that her father was talking with the Principal. Ayame, however, was watching her. But, she was too far away to have heard Kyouko's remark. Right? Despite the pressure she was feeling, Kaname smiled beautifully. When her hand brushed against Sousuke's, a miracle occurred. Sousuke Sagara smiled, and that smile was captured on film, as proof for future generations.

Feeling brave and reckless for a moment, Kaname actually grabbed Sousuke's hand for one photo. She couldn't help herself. Her feelings for Sousuke were just too strong. "Stand straight, Sousuke," she said. "Don't ruin this picture!"

"Affirmative." Sousuke did as ordered.

Kaname teared up. It was such a big day. Still holding Sousuke's hand, she just didn't know what to think. The future was bearing down on her, a wicked grin on its face. "Sousuke…" She sniffed. "Do you have a handkerchief in your pocket?" She began to pull open his jacket pocket.

"**NO!**" Sousuke stuck his hand in his pocket first. There would be no room for Kaname's hand. He began to sweat heavily, much in the same fashion as the time Kaname first met Tessa. The pretty young Captain had been at his apartment, and had gotten out of the shower wrapped only in a towel. "I have no such thing. No tissues. Nothing that would prove effective against tears."

"Sousuke?" Kaname's mood normalized some. She felt much the way she had in school, when she and Sousuke were in the middle of on of their usual harangues. "Are you hiding something?" She froze, wondering if he had gotten her a Graduation Day gift. Part of her hoped that he had. But, she truly wished that he had not. She hadn't gotten him anything.

Things had been so hectic since her father and sister had moved back to Tokyo temporarily. The lease on her apartment had been allowed to expire, and she had been moved in with them in a larger place. That had limited her chances to see Sousuke in the way that she wanted, and it had kept her very busy. Sousuke had offered to help, and she almost gave into her feelings then and there. But, the time hadn't been right.

_Why not now? _

Was she afraid to ruin the mood that her father felt? He was so proud of her today. He had gone to a lot of trouble to arrange for a temporary political assignment in this country, attending to a number of U.N. duties that lesser officials could easily have handled.

Yes. That was all true. But, she was in love with Sousuke. And they had shared so much together. If only she could come to terms with her emotions. She still hadn't figured out why she had been acting so strange around him, after the two of them had returned from their ordeals.

"Negative." Sousuke won a small victory. His answer was firm and unwavering.

"Oh… good…" Kaname suspected that Sousuke was lying. But, she was not in the mood to push any further. Perhaps Tessa had given him something as a gift, and he thought that she would be jealous or something. Or it might be a weapon, despite the fact that she had told him not to bring any.

"Kaname, there is something that I would like to ask you." Sousuke was proud. He had managed that well too.

"Sousuke?" Kaname looked up into his eyes. What did he have on his mind?

There was a sudden sound of an automobile horn, blown in rapid succession. "Kaname, over here!" That was Ayame's voice. "Daddy wants you. _Right now!" _She sounded very excited.

Sousukes' question was left unasked as Kaname went to see what was going on. Sousuke followed at a distance, scanning the surroundings. The horn sounding had not sounded like a person in panic, but rather like someone announcing their arrival.

"Kaname, your graduation present is parked right over there." Shunya pointed to a red car that a dealership had just delivered.

"Daddy, are you kidding? That's for _me? _That car?" Kaname couldn't contain herself. A huge smile split her face. She couldn't believe it. A new car! For a moment, she froze. She would need to be rather firm with Sousuke, when the moment arose. A new strange car was not a bad thing, not if it was delivered by a reputable dealer. She remembered all too well what he had done to Miss Kagurazaka's car.

"Yes. I know it's extravagant. But…" Shunya looked at Kaname, and then the car. "I felt it was something I needed to do. You did so well. Under such difficult circumstances."

Kaname began to cry. She ran to hug her father. It was a wonderful gift. And he was right. She had been through difficult times. He didn't know the half of it. "Thank you, Daddy. Thank you so very much." She quivered for a moment. Sousuke had gone to speak with the man who had brought the car by. She wondered what he was saying.

"You delivered this car?" Sousuke spoke to a middle-aged man with a thin mustache and slicked down hair.

"Yes I did. It's a beauty, isn't it? Toyota Mark X, in dark red metallic. You can see yourself in that shine." The man ran a hand over the slick finish on the car. "Four door. Five seat. This one comes with two wheel drive, not four. One of our best sellers."

"You have personally checked over the car?" Sousuke looked the man in the eyes, wanting to see if he flinched or had any suspicious eye movements.

"Of course. Of course." The man waved his hand in an effusive manner. "The manual is in the glove box. I filled up the tank myself. The paperwork was filled out properly and filed with the appropriate people. I even had it washed and waxed."

"That is not what I mean. You have checked to make certain that the brake lines were not cut once you parked the car?" Sousuke held off on the impulse to make such a check. He should not dirty his suit.

"Huh?" The man's face looked comical. Just what was the young man talking about? Maybe he watched too man spy movies or something.

"There are no explosive devices situated in the engine compartment, or attached to the undercarriage?" Sousuke wondered why the man looked as if he were asking foolish questions. Customer safety should be his first, second, and third concern. Perhaps he was a clever actor.

"Those don't come with the standard package," the man said, laughing. "I'm afraid that those cost extra!" Sousuke narrowed his eyes.

"I am not joking." He opened his suit jacket. In a harness that came with his gift, the P2000 was clearly visible.

"_Hey! _What? I…." The man suddenly backed away, stopped by the fender of the car. "Wait a minute. I think I recognize you." The man stared at the scar on Sousuke's cheek. "You're the guy they got on film. The one they think drive that thing in town."

"Correct." Sousuke frowned. It had been a bad stroke of luck, having his image captured for all to see. There had been no way for Mithril to suppress the images, trapped as it was in a desperate conflict. While the pictures hadn't been as good as those that Kyouko had just taken, more people recognized him than he liked.

"_Wow! _That's great. I mean, meeting you." The man's face suddenly changed. He acted like a star struck fan or groupie. "Hey. But the car is fine. I drove it over here and everything." Suddenly he stiffened up. He looked at the car. "I wasn't in any danger, _was_ I? I mean…" He swallowed hard. "Should I check?"

"It never hurts to be safe. It would be best if you did the examination. You are a professional." Sousuke decided that he had done what he could. He told the man to give his report to Kaname. He went back to join his fellow graduates as the man disappeared under the automobile. He stopped a moment and shrugged, seeing the look that Kaname gave him. Suddenly feeling a bit sheepish, he could imagine what she must be thinking. He too thought back to the incident with their teacher's new car.

"I can't wait until I graduate high school!" Ayame said, her voice carrying over to Sousuke. "I wonder what kind of car _I_ will get!"

"Well, don't go getting your hopes up…" Shunya said.

"Sweet pea," Kaname said quickly, before her father finished. She grinned at Ayame's angry look.

"Sweet pea," Shunya said, giving Kaname a 'don't go causing a fuss' glance. "Your sister was tops in her class. It gives you something to shoot for."

"Great." Ayame kicked at a loose piece of concrete on the walkway. "Thanks a lot… pumpkin…"

Kyouko took a picture of Kaname's face. She mouthed 'pumpkin', and then took another shot when Kaname responded.

As Sousuke began walking towards Kaname, taking a series of hesitant steps before evening out his stride, he heard her father say that the crowd was dispersing and people were heading home, It was time for them to leave as well.

Kaname smiled. She would be driving them back to the apartment. Seeing Sousuke, she bit her lip. She wished that he could ride with them.

"OK, let's go. We can't keep Mr. Ishimota waiting. He was nice enough to bring the car out." Shunya looked around. "Where is he?" He scratched his head when he saw the dirt streaked man pull himself out from under the car.

Kaname stood a moment looking at Sousuke. She fought the urge to run to him, knowing that there had been something he had wanted to say. "Sousuke…."

"Kaname…" Sousuke began walking towards her again. The car horn began blowing. It blared in long loud bits.

Looking over at her car, Kaname saw Ayame reaching into the car. That little scamp! "Sousuke… I have to go now…" Kaname hoped that he wouldn't be too upset with her. She wondered what he might conjecture.

Would he think that she didn't want to talk to him? For some reason, she was hesitant to hear what he might say. He might make some kind of admission she wanted to hear, but also dreaded hearing. She wasn't ready to put certain things into words. Words might carry some unspoken promise or obligation. Her world was too mixed up at the moment for that kind of thing.

The horn blew again. And again and again and again… until Shunya pulled Ayame away from the car.

"I'll see you at the party tomorrow night. You _are_ going, aren't you?" Kaname squeezed Sousuke's hand, and then left.

"Yes." Sousuke watched as Kaname ran off to join her family.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Hello?"

Sousuke took the phone that Melissa handed to him. She wouldn't tell him who had called. It was obviously someone from Mithril, as the connection had been made through the com console.

"Sgt. Sagara, I wanted to take the opportunity to offer my congratulations." It was Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin. He coughed some as he spoke.

"Thank you, Sir. I hope that you are feeling better." Sousuke was touched. He rubbed the back of his neck, somewhat amzed by his own feelings. He was becoming more emotional day by day. Andrei Kalinin was the closest thing he had to a father. That was ironic, considering that they had started off as enemies in Afghanistan.

"I apologize. Your big graduation, and I lay here in bed, the nurses hovering over me, like I am some kind of infirm old man." Kalinin laughed. His voice went deeper after he coughed a few times more. "Truly, I wish I had been there. I am very proud of you. Not just for graduating, but because of the kind of man you have become."

"Thank you, Sir." Sousuke shook his head when Kurz walked by, offering him some food. The lanky SRT member carried a plate overflowing with noodles and what appeared to be canned crab. He could guess where the latter came from. He moved to a far corner of the room, out of harm's way.

"You may not believe it, but Cmdr. Mardukas was also upset about his inability to attend. While he may not admit it personally, he too has come to think rather highly of you. Even though he _does_ think of you as uncivilized at times."

"I see," Sousuke said. "He shares the same feeling as Miss Chidori in that regard, I think. Are you OK, Sir. Should we end this transmission?" He was concerned. The Lt. Commander's coughing had increased. He cringed, hearing Melissa's shout. He had been correct in his assumption.

"Hey! Wait! Fair's fair. _I_ bought the noodles. _You_ bought the crab." Kurz jumped over the cord connecting the phone to the console. "I was bringing it in here to ask of you wanted to share some with me."

"**Shit!**" Melissa plowed through the cord, pulling the handset from Sousuke's grasp. She kicked the phone back to him. "I have something to share with you alright!"

"Sis, not with Sousuke watching!" Kurz ran into the kitchen and closed the door. Melissa took out her combat knife and began working on the hinges.

"Sgt., is there something wrong?" Kalinin had heard the phone bounce across the floor.

"No Sir," Sousuke answered. "Sgt. Weber is making himself something to eat." While the situation might escalate, it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"With something that belonged to Lt. Mao, I presume?" Kalinin's voice suggested that he already knew the answer.

"Affirmative." Sousuke watched as Melissa threw the door aside. There was soon a loud clatter, as pots and pans hit the floor. "Excuse me, Sir." Sousuke called out to Kurz. "Third cabinet, bottom counter. I suggest you share." Sousuke had secretly stashed cases of beer there, at Kurz' request. "I have attempted a diplomatic solution, Sir."

"Beer?" Kalin asked.

"Yes, Sir."

"Very good, Sgt. You grow wiser every day. You mentioned Kaname Chidori before. Have you given thought to what you will do, now that you have left high school? Your scholarship, so to speak, does not have to be used at the same university that she attends."

"Sir, I…" Sousuke didn't know what to say. He knew what he wanted, but had no idea what Kaname would think. She thought that he would go where she went, just not as a student. It bothered her some, as she wanted him to further his education, thinking it would be best that he leave Mithril some day.

"The mission is no longer official, you understand." Kalinin wanted to talk out this subject, realizing that his subordinate might be wrestling with difficult issues. "However, I am certain that the upper echelon will allow you to continue, if you like. If that is the price to keep you in the ranks…" He coughed some more. "The decision rests with you."

Sousuke watched as Melissa marched back out into the room, a case of imported ale in her arms. Using the hilt of her knife, she broke the top of a bottle off, and then poured it into a glass she had been using earlier. A few moments later, Kurz limped into the room, looking mostly intact. Strings of noodles hung from his mouth as he ate his ill-thought meal.

"Sir, the situation…" Sousuke couldn't find the words. He had talked on the subject with the others, but somehow things seemed much more serious now that he was speaking with Kalinin.

"Things change, Sousuke." That shocked Sousuke. The Lt. Cmdr. was rarely informal with him. "Your existence may have been simpler in some ways, while you were still in school. Your life was regimented, and there were things you could predict. The approaching days may be more like those you faced when you left your previous life, joining Mithril."

"I understand, Sir." Sousuke ran a hand through his hair. Those days had not been as confusing as these. He had been a fighter looking for someone to fight for, and an enemy to fight. While his terrible thirst for vengeance had been sated to some degree, it had been somewhat difficult to accept prior foes as allies. But he had done so, because of the respect that he came to feel for Kalinin. However, the current situation was different. He had changed. Kaname was responsible for that. His emotions were no longer locked away, ignored and repressed.

Sousuke and the Lt. Cmdr. spoke together for close to an hour. Kalinin helped Sousuke sort out some of his feelings, and discussed possible paths he might take in his future days. "Sergeant, I want you to promise to lighten your mood," Kalinin sounded serious. "This is a special time. Enjoy it."

"I… I will try, Sir." Sousuke promised.

"_Try? _What kind of thing is that, coming from Arbalest's pilot?" Kalinin coughed, and then continued. "I know you, Sgt. Sagara. When you put your mind to it, you get things done." He laughed. "Things often blow up in the process, that much is true. But, it is the end results that count, is it not?"

"I suppose…" Sousuke frowned. He wasn't certain if the Lt. Cmdr. meant that his enemy's blew up… things in his civilian surroundings blew up… or both.

"You suppose?" Kalinin's voice snapped like a whip. "What kind of answer is _that, _soldier? We both have seen the funerals for men who spent too much time supposing, and too little time acting."

"Sir, yes Sir!" Sousuke stood at attention, causing Kurz to chuckle. "By your command. I will be certain to lighten up and enjoy myself." That had Melissa sighing.

"Very good, Sgt. I will not keep you any longer. Do you have a celebration planned for tonight?" Kalinin thought back to his own youth. There had been precious little to celebrate in those days.

"There is a graduation party tomorrow evening. I have told the host that I will attend." Sousuke asked when he might be expected back at base or onboard the TDD-1. Kalinin told him what to expect. Saying his farewells, Sousuke hung up the phone. "

"Whoo-hoo-_hoooooo_… party, huh?" Kurz came over to sit next to Sousuke, dragging a folding chair with him as he walked. "Music. Booze. Babes. _Ahhhh_…" He grinned. "Can you bring a guest?"

"I doubt that Lt. Mao would wish to go." Sousuke kept a straight face. He nodded when Melissa saluted.

"Hah hah hah. I was talking about Kurz Weber, world renound life of the party. If I'm there, I can keep the others girls off of you, while you get up close and oh so personal with Angel." Kurz stood and struck his usual pose.

"**Kurz!**" Melissa correctly judged Sousuke's mood. Her friend was not in the mood to be teased. Especially not about Kaname.

"Jealous, Babe?" Kurz grinned. Joking around with Melissa came as naturally as breathing to him. "There is always enough Weber to go around."

"Kurz, there's going to be a little less Weber to go around if you don't shut up." She looked down at the crotch of his pants. "The emphasis is on the word 'little."

"That's harsh, Sis." Kurz said.

As his two squad mates traded barbs, Sousuke sat thinking. He had meant to ask Kaname to accompany him to the party. As his date. It would be a simple way to start dating, if she actually wished to do so.

He looked over at the phone.


	3. three

"Daddy, are you certain that a car was such a good idea?"

Kaname was dressed in casual clothes now, exhausted after the day's events. She was feeling guilty, seeing that she had been given such an extravagant gift.

"What? Are you worried because of parking, or because gasoline cost so much in Japan?" Shunya put down his cup of coffee, and then walked over to a small desk. He removed a box from the top drawer. "You won't need to drive it very far, at school. But, I'm certain it will come in handy."

"No. I'm not thinking about those things. A car like that one must have been expensive. I just…" Kaname didn't want to sound ungrateful. But, she didn't want her father's finances to suffer on her account. Especially since she had college tuition coming up, and would not be able to pay that herself by working during school.

"It's alright, Kaname. My investments overseas have gone very well. My salary may not be high by American standards, but I have managed to save a fair bit. Besides, the car was not that expensive. Sure, there were smaller models to choose from, but the one I bought is a nice balance between safety, efficiency, and cost."

"Thank you, Daddy." Kaname gave her father another hug.

"I have something else for you here. I think this will mean more to you than the car." He handed her the box.

"Wait a minute. You've given me so much already. I can't…" Kaname opened the box. There was a beautiful necklace inside.

"It was your mother's," Shunya said. "I have been saving it for this very day. It used to be her favorite." Her father looked over at a nearby table top. Kaname's picture of her mother… his wife… sat there.

Kaname was too overcome with emotion to speak.

"I know you wish your mother could have shared this day with you. Maybe by your wearing that, she will." Shunya grabbed a box of tissue and brought it to Kaname.

Kaname nodded her head.

"She would have enjoyed your speech. You did very well. They really applauded you when you were done." Shunya retrieved his coffee cup and took a sip.

"It was kind of strange, Daddy. I was standing up there and looking at all the people, and I felt so far away from them. And when I looked back at my classmates…." Kaname nibbled on a strand of her hair.

"Stop that." Shunya said. "I thought that we had broken you of that habit long ago." He took another sip, and then put the cup down again, finished. "Is there something bothering you?"

"Yes. No. _Oh, _I don't know." Kaname chewed on her hair again, and then forced herself to stop. She always seemed to revert to one old habit or another when she was around Ayame and her father. "Most of the other students thought I was some kind of idol at first. But, I worked really hard, and I tried to do things that served the school…"

"Uh huh. And you made a lot of friends, _right? _Opinions change over time. All people need to see is the real you, Kaname. I've always tried to tell you that." Shunya reached out and placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "You were always a loud child, but that only hid the doubts you had about yourself."

"I know, Daddy. I _did_ make a lot of friends. But then…." She stopped. How could she tell them that many of the other students had changed in the way that they behaved around her without telling him why? Nothing that he said could make her feel better, if he didn't know what was bothering her in the first place. Part of her was shouting 'Tell him!' It was a perfect segue, a chance to let him know about her being Whispered. But, he was better off being ignorant, _wasn't_ he? Didn't he already have enough reasons to worry about her and Ayame?

She had seen him look at her mother's picture. He might not have the abandonment issues that she did, but the truth about her unwanted burden would strike a painful blow. There was a saying. 'The truth shall set you free.' Maybe that saying was true for other people. It didn't seem all that emancipating right then. At the very least, whether he truly understand the danger or not, her father would insist that she go back to the States with him, if he learned that she was at risk.

"Did your success sour them towards you? Was _that _it?" Shunya had faced something of the sort in his own life, when his career at the U.N. was taking off. "Did you distance yourself from them, putting too much emphasis on you schoolwork?" He had done that himself.

"No…" Kaname trembled for a moment. How could she ever tell her father that she was one of the main reasons that Amalgam attacked Tokyo? "It wasn't my success…" She walked over and stared out of the window, taking in the sight of the city at night. "I… I really don't want to talk about it now. This is supposed to be a happy day. I should shower and get ready for dinner. You told me the restaurant is really nice."

"It is," Shunya said. _Kitcho_, located in Hotel Seiyo Ginza. One of Tokyo's best restaurants, in one of Japan's best hotels."

"Isn't that a bit much," Kaname asked. She noticed Ayame walking into the room. "I mean, they probably don't serve peanut butter and jelly in a fancy Japanese restaurant." She nodded in her sister's direction.

"Ha ha _ha. _So funny I forgot to laugh." Ayame began tossing Kaname's Bonta-Kun doll up in the air and catching it.

"Ayame will do just fine. She joins me at fancy restaurants in New York. They don't serve PBJ there either." Shunya's grasp of English vernacular had Kaname grinning. "Luckily, they still carry bibs."

Ayame throw the Bonta-Kun at her father, missing on purpose. He caught it, and then looked down at it. "You still have this old thing? I remember when you got it, one day at that amusement park you loved." He smiled, reminiscing. "Do you ever go there?"

"Yes," Kaname answered. She though back to the day that she had gone on a date with a boy she had known from Junior High. Bonta-kun had saved her from some Yakuza thugs. Watching the silly mascot run around the park after that, she had realized that it was Sousuke inside, looking after her. Kaname smiled, warmed by the memory.

She frowned after that, thinking back to the Bonta-Kun powered armor suit that the big idiot had constructed. That reminded her of Pony Man, and Kyouko's ordeal. It also reminded her of Officer Wakana, not to mention the time that she and Ren were kidnapped by a rival Yakuza gang.

"Well, I guess it's time that we all start getting ready." Shunya headed off towards his room, with Ayame following soon thereafter.

"Fumo," Kaname whispered under her breath.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Fourty one… fourty two… fourty three…"

Dressed in a black T-shirt and camouflage pants, Sousuke counted off as he performed chin-ups on the metal bar traversing his entry hall.

"Stop it, Sousuke. It makes me hurt just watching you." Kurz hooked one leg over the couch arm as he pushed furiously at the remote, surfing through channels in search of something to watch.

"Let him be, asshole." Melissa ground out her latest cigarette. "You could use some exercise yourself. That way you wouldn't look like the 'before' guy in all those 'before and after' ads.

"Fifty… fifty one… fifty two…"

"Uh huh." Kurz kept surfing. "If you didn't smoke so damn much, maybe _you_ wouldn't look like all of those 'before' guys in the 'before and after' ads."

"F-ck you!" Melissa picked up the ashtray, but didn't throw it.

"The invitation still stands," Kurz said, blowing Melissa a kiss. "Any place, any time. _Semper fi_, Babe." He knew that any reference to the U.S. Marines would piss Mao off royally.

"Fifty eight… fifty nine… sixty…"

Melissa threw the ashtray. Kurz reacted quickly, throwing the remote. The plastic box broke when it deflected the oncoming glass projectile. "No sense challenging the best marksman in the Pacific Squadron," Kurz said with a laugh.

"Keep talking, little man." Melissa took out her knife and used it to open a can of beer. "You'll need to fall asleep sooner or later. Maybe it's time you get a military haircut."

"Sis, you wouldn't!" Kurz put his hand on his head. He swallowed hard when Melissa never answered.

"Sixty eight… sixty nine… seventy…"

The last number was followed by the sound of two feet hitting the ground. A sweaty Sousuke walked over to the phones station, removing the portable handset. After that, he headed for the bathroom. "I will be in the shower in case I am needed."

"Huh?" Kurz sat up straight. "You don't need a telephone to take a shower." He chuckled. "Not going to call one of those 'We got women' lines and…"

"**Weber!**" Melissa tossed her empty beer can at Kurz. "You know that Sousuke isn't into that kind of thing. Quit joking around. He probably just wants some privacy. Especially with you here."

"Oh ho ho _ho-o-o-o-o_…." Kurz smiled and rubbed his hands together. "Now I get it. Gonna call Ka-na-may?"

"Sousuke walked into the bathroom without answering. The sound of the door lock could be heard across the room.

"Was it something I said," Kurz asked.

"Shit!" Melissa said to herself.

Standing in the bathroom, the shower water running and steaming up the room, Sousuke dialed a telephone number, hesitating slightly before the last digit. The phone rang. After a number of rings, somebody picked up.

"Kaname?" Sousuke bit his tyongue. He should have letbthe person on the other end speak first.

"No, this is her father." Shunya Kaname spoke.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke had considered this possibility. He needed to remain calm and follow through with his plan. "May I speak with Kaname, please?"

"I'm sorry, she's in the shower at the moment. After she gets dressed, we'll be heading out to dinner." Shunya spoke with an even voice, wondering just who might be calling his daughter.

"Uhhh... okay... Ummm…" Sousuke swallowed hard. He hated sounding so weak and indecisive. There was no place for anything like that in battle. Well, this wasn't exactly battle. Still…

"Is this the young man with the glasses, the Student Council President?" Shunya asked.

"No." Sousuke said. He clenched his fists. Why was he being so selfish with words.

"The young man who asked her to attend his graduation party?" Shunya frowned. Why didn't the boy make his identity clear. Did he have something to hide?

"Uhhh…no… not really…" Sousuke watched as the mirror quickly fogged up. "We met briefly at the ceremony. This is Sousuke Sagara."

"Oh. The boy who thinks that Kaname is hot." Shunya's voice did not give the slightest hint of amusement.

"Uhhh… well… I was actually concerned that she had been adversely affected by the temperature… uhhh…" Sousuke felt like a complete idiot. There he was talking with Kaname's father, and he must sound like the world's greatest fool.

"Hmmm. I see…" Shunya sounded unconvinced.

"I apologize, Sir. I suppose I must be bad at this. What I wanted to do is... could I please…" Sousuke tensed up. To make matters worse, Kurz banged on the door and shouted 'Give Angel my love!'

"Do you wish for me to give my daughter your phone number?" Shunya showed a trace of amusement in his voice at that moment. For a second, he was not a father. He remembered what it had been like to be a teenage boy.

"Oh. Okay then. Yes. Sgt. Sousuke Sagara. 3232-4935. You can leave out the Sergeant part. She is already aware of that fact." Sousuke flinched. He had to get a grip.

"Okay then... Sousuke Sagara… 3232-4935... Forget the Sergeant part. Is there anything more?"

"Uhhhh… 3232-4935... That is correct, Sir. I thank you." Sousuke placed both hands on the bathroom sink stand. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Okay, Mr. Sagara. I'll give here the message." Shunya's voice became more upbeat. "She's really an amazing girl, isn't she?"

"Sir?"

"She's really pretty great, isn't she?" Shunya's voice practically dripped with pride. He was a father filled with pride, not an overly protective parent.

"She… uhhh… affirmative." Sousuke was ready to kill Kurz. His friend was at the door crooning.

After Sousuke hung up, he wondered if Kaname would be happy to know he called, or ready to hoist him by his own pitard.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Kaname set down the phone.

She seemed to be the only one busy. That did not sit well with her. Not one single bit.

True, she was working the morning shift, and most of the busy work came in the afternoon and evening shifts that she had begun working while still in school. Just the same, the people in the office could do something more useful than hang around the coffee pot, work on emptying the water cooler one glass at a time, or hold lengthy discussions on tea.

"I had to be all noble, didn't I. _Geeez. _I just had to decide to earn some spending money for college." Kaname frowned. That was only part of it. Her pride had gotten in the way again. "No, it's Sousuke's fault!" He was so convenient to blame that way.

The two of them had been discussing college. He wasn't certain whether or not Mithril would let him attend. They hadn't gotten word back to him in time for the normal process of applications, even though he had gone ahead and taken the tests.

'They'll probably give you a big allowance if they let you go, jerk!' For some reason, that had bothered her.

'Negative. It will not be necessary. I have substantial savings. After all, I do have a job that pays well.' Sousuke had not been bragging. It had set her off just the same.

'Oh. And I _don't? _Is that what you are saying? Poor little Kaname Chidori, everything given to her by her Daddy?' Naturally, before that little conversation had come to an end, she had sworn to get a part-time job.

A conversation with her father led to him pulling strings for her. She despised any hint of nepotism, but had not been consulted in his decision making. She received a phone call from the Tokyo branch of the UnitedNations Environment Program, International Environmental Technology Center, telling her what time she was expected at work.

"_Oooooh, _Daddy…" Kaname snapped one of her pencils in half, not realizing that she had done so at first. She loved her father dearly, and was glad for his dedication in taking care of her. But, she was an adult now. He had to leave some of the decisions to her.

She looked over at one of the colorful posters hung about the old building. One depicted the mission statement: To provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

Wow. She was such a visionary! Of course, her environmental prowesss consisted entirely of shitting at a desk, picking up a phone, and answering questions about the "One Planet Many People" Atlas set to be launched to mark World Environment Day.

"Mission statement." She sighed. Not exactly the words she wanted to think about. Usually, 'mission statement' was something that Sousuke said before he left on one of his jaunts into some hot corner of the globe. Corner? On a globe? What idiot came up with _that_ connection? She couldn't blame her otaku for that one.

The phone on her desk rang. She glared at it. Somehow her phone knew that she was the only one at her desk working. Stupid phone. "Hello, United Nations Environment Program, Kaname Chidori speaking. How may I help you?"

After listening for a bit, Kaname picked up the standard printed card and began expostulating. "Yes, the Atlas truly is an amazing piece of work. It is also very timely. Dramatic and damaging environmental changes are sweeping planet Earth. These changes are brought into sharp focus by the new volume, which does a wonderful job of comparing and contrasting spectacular satellite images of the past few decades with contemporary ones, some of which have never been seen before."

As Kaname spoke, she saw a bit of a commotion by the door. Someone important must have arrived. Probably some big U.N. official, gracing this office with his presence.

"The huge growth of greenhouses in southern Spain…the rapid rise of shrimp farming in Asia and Latin America… the emergence of a giant, shadow puppet-shaped peninsula at the mouth of the Yellow River… these are only a few of the curious and surprising changes seen from space." She almost stopped speaking, when she wondered if that could be her father. He wouldn't come and check up on her, _would_ he? That would be so embarrassing!

"Such striking pictures sit beside the more conventional, but no less dramatic images of rain forest deforestation in Paraguay and Brazil… rapid oil and gas development in Wyoming, United States… forest fires across sub-Saharan Africa… and the retreat of glaciers and ice in polar and mountain areas." Kaname rattled off the practiced words with feeling, despite the fact that she sometimes woke up at night after seeing them in her dreams. She'd rather sit and listen to Sousuke explain the operating system for Arbalest!

A familiar face peered around the corner of her cubicle area. Kaname closed her eyes. It was Ayame. That meant that her father was indeed there. What had she done to deserve this?

"Yes, Sir. This year, World Environment Day will be hosted by San Francisco, California with the global theme of Green Cities, Plan for the Planet! Indeed, you are correct. The atlas, produced in collaboration with organizations including the United States Geological Survey and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, highlights that very theme, showing the explosive growth and changes around some of the major cities of the world such as Beijing, Dhaka, Delhi and Santiago."

Kaname looked for something on her desk that she could throw. Ayame was pointing on her and giggling. So what if her words sounded kind of ridiculous to lay people. This was her job, and Kaname Chidori always did her tasks to the utmost.

"The atlas also covers developed world cities including Las Vegas, the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States, and Miami. Miami's spread westwards may endanger Florida's famous everglades and their important wildlife and water supplies.

Specially commissioned images of Bucharest, London, Nairobi and San Francisco supplement the One Planet Many People publication." Kaname watched as the crowd parted and people magically ran off to get to work. Her father came to stand next to Ayame, a huge smile on his face.

That better not be a smile of amusement! Ooooh…

"Well Sir, Osaka is a wonderful city. Yes, it is far from any of the cities that I mentioned. Klaus Toepfer, UNEP's Executive Director, said ' People living in San Francisco or London may look at these images of deforestation or melting Arctic ice, and wonder what it has to do with them. That these changes are the result of other people's lifestyles and consumption habits hundreds and thousands of kilometres away. But they would be wrong.' If he were speaking to you himself, he would add Osaka to that list." Kaname frowned. She pointed to a number of chairs, not knowing how long her current phone conversation might last. Some went fairly quickly. Others stretched on forever. The office edict was to speak until the caller was entirely satisfied.

Shunya shook his head. Ayame began laughing outright.

"As I am certain you can understand, cities pull in huge amounts of resources including water, food, timber, metals and people. They export large amounts of wastes including household and industrial wastes, wastewater and the gases linked with global warming. Thus their impacts stretch beyond their physical borders affecting countries, regions and the planet as a whole. added. So the battle for sustainable development, for delivering a more environmentally stable, just and healthier world, is going to be largely won and lost in our cities." Eventually, she had hung up, just before she ran out of pre-printed material.

"Sorry to disturb you, Kaname. But, something very important came up." Shunya looked around the office, finding the office manager. "Miss Kanabi says that you are doing a remarkable job here."

"Ummm… yes…." Kaname watched Ayame closely. Why did her sister look so excited herself? What could have both of them acting this way?

"I'm glad to hear that. If you like, when you get to New York, I will see if I can find you a part-time job at the UNEP office. The Division of Policy Development and Law is there, and its role is to enhance the consideration of environmental policy within UN intergovernmental and inter-agency forums, and to serve as a source of information to Governments, the UN Secretariat, civil society and the media on UNEP's work." He looked down at Ayame who was making a face. "What? I was sounding too formal again?"

Kaname swallowed hard. New York City? Why would she be in New York City. Oh no. He couldn't mean…

Shunya turned back to Kaname, ready to drop his bombshell. "I received a telephone call earlier. I wanted to come here and give you the big news in person."

"D-D-Daddy…" Kaname was certain of it now. There could only be one thing that her father was talking about. She should never had made the promise, thinking that the outcome was impossible. That was a lesson that Sousuke had tried to teach her any number of times in the past.

"Columbia University, pumpkin. One of the best colleges in the world, not just Japan. You've been awarded a special Fulbright Scholarship, a Full Grant. They usually do not give those to undergraduates. You should be proud." Shunya pushed his glasses up his nose a bit, beaming.

"B-B-But…" Kaname wasn't excited. She wasn't even happy. She was numb.

"Columbia University hosts over seven thousand international students, interns, and scholars from more than one hundred and fifty countries, Kaname. Many of them are from Japan. Of those, almost half are women. That should make it easier for you to fit in, even though you've gone to school in America before." Shunya watched his eldest daughter's face. His brows furrowed. He had expected something like this.

"That's not the important part. You'll be able to live near us. Columbia University is in New York City!" Ayame could barely contain herself.

"I…." Kaname made no effort to pick up the ringing phone.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"You snooze you lose, Sousuke old buddy!"

Kurz Weber elbowed his friend aside, running into the apartment's only bathroom.

"No. That is not good. Do not go in there." Sousuke said loudly, causing Melissa to look over from her lunch of Cigarettes and Beer.

"It's mine. It's mine. Hah hah, it's all mine!" Kurz slammed the door shut.

"But, I have great need." Sousuke grimaced. He should have gone to the bathroom earlier, instead of forcing himself to finish his push-ups.

"Do what Mao does. _Ah-h-h-h_…." A contented Kurz continued. "Go pee off the balcony!"

"**Bastard!**" In one smooth motion, Mao put down her beer can, swept her hand to her sheath, removed her combat knife and tossed it. The blade embedded itself in the bathroom door, all the way up to the hilt. "You will pay…."

"A Specialist has to be able to deal with these situations." Sousuke stood at attention, squeezing his legs together.

"_Shit! _A soldier just has to make do. Use one of Kurz' bottles over there. Preferably one that's half full." Melissa blew out a large cloud of smoke. "Or grab one of your emergency canteens." There was a wicked look in her eyes.

"Uhhh… Lieutenant?" Sousuke looked perplexed.

"The second present that Kurz gave you. Remember our preparations for the Tokyo mission long ago?" Melissa tossed her lit cigarette butt over on Weber's bunk.

"Preparations… I do not…" Sousuke looked deep in thought.

"You had two condoms. I was rather shocked to hear that you had used them in the past." Melissa took a pull of beer. "You disappointed me, describing how you used then to carry water."

Ohhh… _uhhh_…" Sousuke swallowed hard. The thought of condoms still had him feeling very nervous. "Are you suggesting that…"

"I was only joking, Sousuke. Piss in whatever you like, if you can't hold it. If you give it to me when you're done, I'll pay you for it." Melissa narrowed her eyes. She had told Kurz that he would pay.

Sousuke stood like a deer in the headlights. He could imagine only too well what his fellow SRT member might have in mind for his waste fluids. Before he could answer, a telephone rang. It was the conventional phone.

Melissa got up, reached over, and held the handset to her ear. "Hello? Oh. Just a second." She grinned. "It's Kaname."

"**_Hey! _**Wait for me!" The sound of a flushing toilet could be heard. Kurz came rushing out of the rest room.

"Let's give them some privacy," Melissa said. "You can join me out on… the balcony…"

As Kurz pleaded to remain uninjured, Sousuke took up the phone. "Hello? Kaname?"

"Hi, Sousuke." Kaname's voice sounded drawn out, listless. "You called? I didn't check the messages that my father took down until now."

"Yes, I called before. Are you alright, Kaname. You do not sound well. Has something happened?" Sousuke watched as Melissa dangled Kurz over the balcony. The last time she had done that, one of the apartment tenants had called the police.

"What did you call for, Sousuke?" Kaname ignored his questions. "Was it about graduation day, and what you never had a chance to ask me?" She found herself feeling a little less numb. Her heart rate began rising.

"Affirmative… uhhh…" He swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and then let it out. "I wanted to know if you want to go to Oonuki's party tonight."

"I'm not sure any more," Kaname said. "I'm not feeling so well. And…." She paused, gripping the phone tightly. "The more I think about it… the less I think I want to go…"

"Kaname?" Sousuke shook his head. The sound of sirens was drawing nearer. "Truly. Did something happen? What's wrong?"

"It's just…" Kaname wasn't ready to talk about her big news yet. Especially not with Sousuke. "You know how some of the students have acted towards me after… after the fighting…" Her voice caught in her throat. "I'm afraid… you know… at the party…"

"I see. You are concerned how they might treat you. It might ruin the festive occasion for you." Sousuke thought a moment. He might be clueless in many ways, but he had a good rudimentary understanding of Kaname. "Running from danger. I can understand that. Perhaps not in _you_, but…"

"What?" Kaname's voice suddenly had more life in it. "Sousuke, what did you just say?"

"It is not a problem. I did not just call to see if you were going to the party." He felt his hand tremble ever so slightly. That was not acceptable, not in Arbalest's pilot! "I wanted to know… my intention was to find out…." Why was this so difficult? The two of them had realized that they had feelings for one another. That should have been the hard part, right?

"Sousuke?"

"I… Kaname, I wanted to…"

"**SOUSUKE!**" Kaname's voice snapped. As Sousuke listened, she spoke to some one off of the phone. "No, Daddy. I'm OK. I'm on the phone." There was a pause. "It's none of your business, Ayame!"

"I was calling to see if you wanted to go with me." Sousuke let out his breath.

"Huh? Why is _that_ such a big deal? Because of the way I have been acting lately? I'm been under a lot of stress the past few weeks." Kaname almost sounded annoyed. "I can walk to the party with you."

"Uhhh… that is _not_ what I meant, Kaname." Sousuke said. "When I wanted to know if you would go with me, I meant…" He closed his eyes. "I meant as my date." There. He had done it. The word was out there, sitting like unexploded ordinance.

"_What? _What did you just say, Sousuke?" Kaname almost dropped the phone.

"I asked if you would be my date, Kaname. I had thought about asking you to a movie… but… uhhh… but since we would both be going to the party… I thought…." Sousuke began to sweat. It didn't help that Kurz and Melissa had put aside their feud and were watching through the glass doors leading out to the balcony.

"You thought it might be easier?" Kaname's voice rose an octave. She had been wrestling with the idea of dates for a long time.

First, when Sousuke had come back from Hong Kong, she had begun hoping that he would think of her as a girl, not just someone he knew, or someone he was sworn to protect. Then, after the Pacific Christmas incident, when he had given her the Lapis lazuli that he had carried since his time in Afghanistan, the two of them had seemed so much closer. More than anything, she had wanted to begin dating. But, Leonard had showed up out of the blue, and shortly thereafter Amalgam had struck.

Now, her feelings were terrible twisted. Her mind and heart were both tied up in too many knots to unravel. Today's proclamation from her father had come close to pushing her over the edge. As it stood, while part of her was about to swoon, the other part wanted nothing to do with dates. Rather, it was important to do the usual. She would make certain that Sousuke didn't take her for granted.

"Uhhh… no… well, yes… in a way… you see…" Sousuke suddenly felt as if he was backed into a rock outcropping, a flight of attack helicopters circling overhead. What was Kaname upset about?

"You thought it might be less expensive? So you could save more of the vast savings you earned doing your job?" Kaname's voice went up another octave.

"That was not my concern. You know that I am not good at this. I thought…." Sousuke turned away from the glass door. Kurz was laying on his back, hands over his mouth.

"Of course I know that! Who at the school _doesn't_ know that? I sat so long waiting for you to ask me out on a date. But you do this? _Sheesh!" _Kaname spoke off of the phone again, assuring her family that nothing was wrong.

"I… well… I wanted to… I thought that the important thing would be that I asked you out on a date. The others thought…." Ooops. Some things didn't change. Once again, he had said too much. At least now he realized that fact.

"You _thought? _It looks like this is a day for firsts, doesn't it! _Hmmmpppfff!" _Kaname was at full bore now. It was actually a cathartic experience, one she never realized that she needed. "And you decided to discuss this with the guys, did you? I can imagine some of the things that they must have said. I should have known you couldn't just do this on your own."

Sousuke was quiet for a while. The look on his face had Kurz and Melissa cease their antics. The two of them looked on, somewhat concerned. "I apologize. I had thought this would be a good thing. I had made the mistake of believing it was something you would want. I did not wish to bother you during such stressful times."

Kaname was not knew to the concept of 'changing heart'. Someone would be heard pressed to find someone who was better able to flip-flop like her, especially with giving any warning that she was about to do so. Her usual issues pushed out of the way, she was able to access her true feelings for a moment.

"Of course it's a good thing, you big stupid head! Didn't I tell you that I had been waiting for this for a long time? _Geez, _pay attention, alright?" Her voice was playful. She sounded like the old Kaname, from before the fighting. "I wouldn't have been waiting for it if I didn't want it, you big idiot!"

"Uhhh… I see…" Sousuke looked over at Melissa. She was tapping on her watch. What? Oh. "What time, Kaname? Seven o'clock?"

"No, moron. Eight o'clock." Kaname sounded happy. Of course, if Sousuke had said eight o'clock, she would have made it seven thirty.

"Eight o'clock," Sousuke said, just as the police began banging on the door.


	4. four

Sousuke knocked, hoping he had used the proper amount of force.

He did not want to appear timid and uncertain. That would not give Shunya Chidori reason to think highly of him. It would also leave Kaname wondering if he truly wanted to go on this date with her.

On the other hand, he did not want to appear rude and boorish. It was bad enough that Kaname's father knew he was a mercenary soldier. A loud knock might also set Kaname to scolding him.

The door opened a crack. A face peered out. It was Kaname's sister. "Daddy! Sousuke's here."

Sousuke swallowed hard, knowing that he was being irrational. Why did the girl call for her father and not her sister. After all, he was here to take Kaname to the party, not the High Commissioner on Environment Issues at the United Nations.

At least she hadn't said 'Sergeant Sagara is here', or 'that guy Kaname is going to the party with is here'. She also did not close the door, or spray him with a can of mace.

"Ayame, open the door. Let the young man in, please." Shunya's voice was strong and somewhat reserved.

"**AYAME!**" Kaname's voice came from somewhere within the large apartment.

"It's under control, Kaname." Shunya looked over at Sousuke and pressed his lips together in a flat smile. "Girls…"

"Yes, Sir." Sousuke took a step into the entry hall. He shook hands when Shuinya walked over to greet him. The older man had a strong firm grip. "I am Sousuke Sagara. Kaname's classmate, as you already know."

"Pleased to meet you again, Sousuke. I'm afraid that Kaname is not ready quite yet." Shunya raised one eyebrow. "Nevertheless, I believe that you are starting the evening off on her bad side." He walked into the living room area, beckoning Sousuke to follow him.

"**DADDY!**" Kaname's voice was louder than before. "**LET _ME _DEAL WITH THAT!**"

Shunya nodded towards a large clock on the wall. The time read 8:33. "Pardon my reference to American culture, but at midnight tonight, I hope my daughter turns back into my pumpkin." That had Ayame hugging the Bonta-Kun doll and snickering. "When the clock struck eight-o-one, she became more like the Wicked Witch." Kaname's father kept his voice low.

"Evil step-sister," Ayame said, smiling. "Even though she's my _real_ sister." She had not been circumspect enough.

"**WHAT WAS THAT?**" The sound of a number of glass bottles falling over in the bathroom could be heard after Kaname's question.

"I apologize, Sir. I was detained." Literally and figuratively. "It took a while before the police got to our case." Sousuke immediately cringed. Kaname was right. He really was a big idiot. What a wonderful thing to let slip.

"Excuse me?" Shunya's eyes narrowed. His face went stiff.

"Oh boy," Ayame said. She moved closer, sitting on a footstool near Sousuke and her father. This ought to be good.

Kaname came running out. She still didn't have stockings or her shoes on. That last comment by Sousuke had her worried that her father might ground her then and there. "Daddy, he probably…" She bit her lip when her father held his hand up brusquely.

"I think that this require an explanation, young man." Shunya's eyes flashed. "I hope I did not make a mistake letting you into our home!" He stared at Sousuke. "Should I search you now?"

"Sir, no Sir!" Sousuke couldn't afford that now. Kurz had stashed the condoms in his pocket against his wishes. Melissa had insisted that he go armed, strapping the PP2000 on herself. He didn't know which one would get him in more trouble. Trying not to flinch, he surprised Shunya by bowing. "The incident was nothing serious. My comrades had been engaging in tomfoolery on the balcony. One suspended the other over the edge. Someone called the authorities. When they arrived, they demanded entry into our room."

Kaname froze. She could imagine the scene. "It was Kurz and Melissa," she asked in a quiet voice.

"Yes," Sousuke answered. "While I was on the phone with you."

"Did they have their usual… business items… with them?" Kaname couldn't help but smile. She could imagine what would happen to Kurz and Melissa when the returned to Da Danaan.

"Affirmative." Sousuke looked from Kaname to Shunya. He was walking on uneasy ground now. He realized that he might have committed another error when he spoke of his fellow in SRT members in informal terms to Kaname. Her casual response may well have compounded the error.

"Ayame, I think it's time for you to take your shower." Shunya's voice was very firm.

"But…" Ayame frowned. She was wise enough to know why she was being sent from the room. Why did she have to miss the good stuff. "OK, Daddy. Does this mean that I get to go to the party with Kaname and Sousuke?"

Shunya didn't say anything. The look on his face had Ayame walking quickly towards the bathroom.

Kaname sat down and began working on her stockings. She found herself holding her breath. One of Sousuke's terms came to mind. 'S.N.A.F.U' This kind of thing was indeed par for the course with Sousuke. How could she possibly have believed that tonight would be any different? She just hoped that things were not 'F.U.B.A.R'

"I take it that the people you referenced are mercenaries?" Shunya got straight to the point. "When the police arrived, they found an apartment filled with weapons and sensitive equipment?" He ran a hand through his hair. "They thought you were a terrorist group? A drug smuggling ring? Perhaps even Yakusa?" He wondered if he might be better off letting his daughter go out with a terrorist, a junkie, or a gangster.

"That is correct, Sir. The officers on the scene were relatively new to the force. They did not recognize a call word that should have put things on hold, until they had a chance to contact certain superiors who would know of our general existence." Sousuke did not fell that it was germane to mention the numerous things that Melissa had said to the poor police officers. "It was a regrettable circumstance. Naturally, it occurred tonight."

"Naturally," Kaname grumbled. The look she gave Sousuke made it clear that she blamed Sousuke. Furthermore the look told the young soldier that she knew he was not at fault, and that such a fact did not matter. _That_ was par for the course with _her._

"I have a rather pointed question, young man." Shunya's tone of voice had Kaname tensing up. She had not heard that voice very often. "Make that a number of rather pointed questions."

"Sir," Sousuke stood at attention, feeling like a fool when he realized that he had done so.

"_First, _I would like to know why a mercenary was stationed at my daughter's high school." Shunya's hand clenched and unclenched. "_Second_, I would like to know why Kaname sound like she is on familiar terms with the pair that got you into trouble." He switched his gaze to his eldest daughter. "I would _also_ like to know just what your relationship with her is."

"Uhhh…" Sousuke began to sweat. This really _was_ dangerous ground. He doubted that Kaname had told her father anything about the Whispered, otherwise he would not have asked those questions. He also probably had no precise knowledge of Mithril. Last but not least, he had no idea just how much time that a certain young agent and his daughter had spent together, or what they had come to mean to one another.

He paused a moment, struck by one fact. He had gotten ito a great deal of trouble at the school, and Kaname was often central or peripheral to it. How could the school not have reported such things to Kaname's father? Oh. It was a night for moronic thoughts. The Principal and others had received princely sums of money from Mithril to maintain their silence. He was persona non grata with the Finance Division for just that reason.

"I'm certain that there will be time for all that later, Daddy." Kaname stood up, shoes in one hand. She ran over and grabbed her car keys with the other, after slinging her purse over one shoulder. "But, Sousuke and I are late already. Remember what you taught me about punctuality…"

"**_Kaname_**…" Shunya watched as his daughter grabbed Sousuke's hand, jerked him around somewhat roughly, and then began tugging him from the apartment.

"I…" Sousuke knew better than to put up any resistance. In some ways, this almost made him feel more at home. He was used to hectic situations with Kaname.

"Don't wait up, Daddy. I'll be perfectly safe with Sousuke. You can trust him, I promise." Feeling wild and on the edge, Kaname headed outside. This was just what she needed to burn away her malaise regarding her promise to leave the country. She knew that there would be Hell to pay later, but she would live with that.

She felt like she was two distinctly different persons at that moment. Her good and proper self, the part of her that wouldn't even dream about disobeying her father, watched in abject horror as the other self did the inconceivable.

"Uhhh… it was an honor to speak with you, Sir…" Sousuke managed to blurt out as he was manhandled. He believed in being polite. First impressions were often the most lasting.

Kaname remembered something that Sousuke had said about Samurai, during a report in class. Naturally, she hadn't paid it much attention back then. He had said that those warriors had lived for the moment. She would do the same. The party tonight frightened her in some ways, but it might also be the last good time she had with her friends.

"**KANAME CHIDORI!**" It was a rare event for Shunya Chidori to raise his voice. Draped only in a towel, a soaking wet Ayame peaked out of the bathroom.

Kaname went pelting down the long external flight of concrete stairs, dragging a bewildered Sousuke behind her. "Hurry up, Sousuke! You're always holding me back or holding me up!" She almost slipped, saying that. She hadn't meant anything by it, but thoughts began to crystallize in her head.

Sousuke realized that Kaname was joking. Just the same, a certain thought took root. No doubt, over time, that thought would grow. Holding her back?

"Do you wish for me to drive?" He asked, as they approached Kaname's car. Looking back the way they had come, he saw Shunya Chidori leaning over the railing on the upper level. He was silent. The older man made no attempt at following.

"**NO!**" Kaname cringed. Sousuke had told her in the past how he had learned to drive, in beat up automobiles and military vehicles at points throughout Afghanistan. She imagined what her car might look like, battered beyond recognition and coated with decades of dust and dirt.

She jangled the keys. "My car. _Me_ driving."

"As you wish." Sousuke realized only then that his heart was racing. "However, I do not see the need to drive, Kaname. It would not be too long a walk."

"No. I said that we will drive. Kaname Chidori is a woman of her word." Kaname couldn't leave it at that. "Thanks to some inconsiderate idiot, we're late as it is. Walking takes time, and time allows a certain soldier way too much opportunity to get in trouble." They were in enough trouble as it was! "Besides, I feel like driving."

Sousuke understood. Sometimes, when he got a new weapon, he felt anxious to give it a try. The PP2000 was no exception. That weapon also had added significance, as it was a gift on a special occasion. "I understand. It surprises me, giving your mention of trouble, that you even allow me inside your car."

Kaname froze in the act of opening her door. She stood like that for a few moments, and then tossed her hair, looking a bit uneasy. "Get in, Sousuke. No weapons allowed." She felt her spirit coming back. "And no hanging your head out the window like a dog or something!"

"I suppose I am fortunate that you didn't make me ride in the trunk," Sousuke said once he was buckled and Kaname pulled out from the parking shelter.

"There's always the trip home," Kaname said.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Ummm… Sousuke… would it be terrible if I wanted to go home early?"

Kaname stood on the sidewalk outside of Oonuki's apartment building. She was fidgeting.

"No, Kaname." Sousuke cocked his head. Was Kaname worried about the scene in her father's home, or was she feeling uncomfortable around him?

"I… it's not you, Sousuke… not really…" Kaname looked despondent for a moment. "I can only wonder what he thinks. I guess…" She sighed. "I guess it's time I tell him some things. Especially…"

"Kaname?" Sousuke had been through enough battles to get a sense when something bad was about to happen. While the current situation by no means qualified for that, he had a strong sense of foreboding just the same.

"Especially since I'll be going back to America with him." Kaname's eyes watered. She dropped her keys, trying to put them in her purse. When Sousuke touched her hand with his, helping to retrieve the keys, she sobbed and threw herself on him.

"Uhhh…." Sousuke felt Kaname's arms tighten. A number of friends stopped to see if the two of them were alright, and then quickly left them their privacy.

"Oh, Sousuke. I just… I don't… it's…" Kaname straightened up and pushed herself away. "I'm sorry. That's not the way for a Valedictorian or ex-Student Council Vice President to behave." She went on to tell Sousuke about her promise, and about her father's big news.

"I see" Sousuke said, feeling the world rush in on him. Once again realized the dangers that came with getting in touch with his emotions. He had made himself vulnerable in a way he never would have in combat. "When?"

"I have… I have ten weeks, Sousuke… ten more weeks to…" Kaname didn't finish. What could she say? Ten more weeks to be around the people she cared about? Ten more weeks to stay in the city that was home to her now? Ten more weeks to count and catalog every possible lost opportunity?

"It seems that I will not be holding you back, then," Sousuke said, surprised by the feeling of bitterness that filled him. He rebounded quickly. "I will worry about your safety." His voice cracked. That had both himself and Kaname taking notice.

"Sousuke…" Kaname reached up to touch his face. "I haven't really been treating you so great lately, _have_ I? And now this…." Kaname slumped. "I'm sorry." Was it a clear case of not appreciating what you have until it's gone? No, not really. She had been wondering if she should make a clean break, as painful as it might be. Now she was more confused than ever.

"I would have attended Tokyo University with you," Sousuke said, clenching his fists. Tessa's wonderful gift turned to ashes in his mind.

"Sousuke?" Kaname blinked repeatedly. "Mithril?"

"Yes." Sousuke detailed the deal that he had struck with Tessa and the High Council.

Kaname trembled. That news made the situation worse. She imagined herself at Tokyo University, Sousuke by hers side, both of them laughing. She pictured what it might be like, walking hand in hand to class. If that dream had become a reality, it would be thanks to the same metal monster that played on Sousuke's conscience. "Arbalest…."

"Indeed. Miraculously, it has been repaired, as I told you before. But, my partner and I are needed in the Pacific theater, not the Atlantic."

Kaname tried to shake off an irrational hatred. Arbalest had been instrumental in her surviving capture and death in Khanka. It had played a crucial role in saving Da Danaan, as did she. On the deck of the Pacific Princess, it had saved her and Sousuke from the Astarols. Despite all that, it was the reason that Sousuke kept coming back to Mithril. Would he die fighting for that organization?

"Kaname?" Sousuke watched as her eyes regained focus. "Are you alright?"

"Don't worry about that. I ran out of the apartment so I wouldn't ruin my mood for the party? Mission accomplished, huh?" She sniffed. "There's time to think about things later. Let's go have some fun, OK?"

Sousuke looked at Kaname, almost as if for the first time. His eyes lingered on every aspect of her, almost as if he were seeing her for the last time. "Your dress. It is very nice. You look beautiful, Kaname." He looked away for a moment. That hadn't come easy for him, given the fog of emotions smothering him. He thought back to a sunset by the lake, when Kaname had been dressed in her mother's kimono.

"Thank you, Sousuke. You look very nice, too." She recognized the pants as part of the school uniform. That was Sousuke alright, Mr. Practicality. But, that was a new leisure suit, and the cut was very flattering. "New watch?" She swallowed hard, trying to make small talk.

"Affirmative. A gift from Kurz." He looked at Kaname for a moment before continuing. "I do not recognize the jewelry."

Kaname's hand went to her neck. "It was my mother's necklace."

"I see."

The two of them stood quietly, staring at one another wordlessly. Neither could have predicted how long it might have gone on, if Maya, Ryo, and a number of other girls hadn't walked up and dragged them along in their wake. As it turned out, the party was not limited to Oonuki's family apartment. Two friends also had their homes in the building.

The festivities were spread throughout all three family quarters. Even so, the crowd was so large that many people hung out in hallways and the lobby. There was loud music everywhere, a surprise given the usual reserved nature of the building's tenants. Groups of students hung out together, but there were also a number of teachers and school officials in the mix.

Sousuke and Kaname slowly made their way through the crowd. It seemed that everyone wanted to talk to him. But, to Kaname's great shock, even more wanted to speak with _her. _It almost seemed as if congratulations on her speech and her award were going to come non-stop. And, once word of her scholarship leaked out, it coursed throughout the assembled throng like wildfire.

"Oh! Sousuke. Sous-kaaaay…" A girl from the class clamored for Sousuke's attention. "I'm so happy you showed up. This party is so great!"

Sousuke shrugged when Kaname gave him a piercing stare. He had no idea while the girl acted like that. She was not someone that he had said more than a dozen words too during his stay at the school.

"Were you some kind of playboy all along, Sousuke Sagara?" Kaname was joking. "Did you keep _that_ a secret too?" She shouted, trying to be heard.

"Affirmative," Sousuke answered in his deadpan way. He stepped closer to Kaname when he saw the reaction from a group of girls that overheard him. "But, that mission is over!"

Kaname hid a smile. Despite her turbulent emotions, Sousuke still had the power to lighten her mood. He was such an innocent in some ways. Then again, despite her bravado and outgoing behavior, she was too.

The two of them moved about the party, seeking out their closest friends. It was a bittersweet experience, sharing moments with people they might see very little of in the future.

"**YO, STUD!**" Oonuki's loud greeting didn't help matters. "Sousuke, it's great you showed up." His friend had a glazed look in his eyes. No doubt he had imbibed heavily. "Hey, Kaname. Good news, girl. Or 'Bummer,' whichever you like!" He congratulated her on her scholarship to Columbia.

Kaname bit her lip. She had only told Kyouko about the news. Kyouko and Ryo. Kyouko, Ryo, Maya, and Ren…

After greeting a number of other late comers, Oonuki chased down Sousuke gain. "Hey man, bring any of that stuff again. I don't see your thermos anywhere." His reference was clear enough. "It might actually be fun, tonight!" That had a number of other guys and gals commenting.

"Uhhh…." Sousuke looked over at Kaname, and then away. She didn't look like she was ready to hit someone. That was an improvement.

"I have an even more important question." Oonuki put his arm around the young soldier's shoulder. "Are you packing, man?"

"Huh?" Sousuke looked puzzled. For a moment, he began to sweat. He hoped that Oonuki wasn't asking him about prophylactics, with Kaname standing right there.

"Are you armed?" Oonuki asked.. He automatically took a step back when he saw the look on Kaname's face.

"I…" Sousuke swallowed hard, knowing that Kaname would be displeased.

"Well, tell the man, Sousuke." Kaname was tapping her foot against the polished tile floor.

"Yes." Sousuke rushed quickly to qualify matters. "I brought a clip of blanks." He had said enough. 'Loose lips sink ships'.

"That part ought to please Kaname, I guess." Oonuki said, feeling more at ease when he saw Kaname nod.

"Sure!" A member of the music club jumped into the conversation, half of his face covered by his long hair. "She won't be getting knocked up if he's shooting blanks." The people around whistled.

"Hmmm?" Sousuke was puzzled by the reference. "Kaname? What did he mean?"

Kaname felt as if her face were on fire. She looked ready to commit bodily harm when Oonuki bent over to whisper in Sousuke's ear. But, she couldn't help but grin when Sousuke began to sweat.

"Well, back to what I wanted to say." Oonuki turned away for a moment. Hearing some boys shouting at him, he shouted back at them. "I'll be back up in a minute or two!" He shrugged when he turned back to Sousuke. "Sorry. The punch fountain is empty. They need me to mix up more of my special 'Purple Passion.' The two of you need to try that before you leave. "Where was I? Oh yeh!" He held out a bag. "I have an import mission for you."

"Mission?" That had Sousuke standing straighter. It also had Kaname's scowling and clenching her fists.

"My father is always telling me I have to be responsible," Oonuki said. "So, I'm going to be responsible. This is a big party. There's a lot of drink here tonight. Wouldn't be a killer party if there wasn't!"

"You can say that again!" A girl from the drama club shouted, almost falling when she stepped on her friend's foot.

"So," Oonuki said when he stepped closer. His breath reeked of alcohol. "Would you serve as my Sergeant at Arms? Could I get you to be the keeper of the keys?"

"I do not understand," Sousuke said.

"Well, it's not a good idea to drink and drive. While most of the people probably walked or took the train, some might have decided to drive, especially if they brought dates."

"And…" Sousuke looked over at Kaname, upon hearing the word 'date'. He was gratified to see that she managed a shy smile.

"If someone else has their keys, then they can't drive home, right?" Oonuki looked away when someone shouted about the 'Purple Passion' again. "Get them to put their keys in that bag, and I doubt that anyone will try to get them back again unless they're sober."

"That is a good idea. I accept." Not one to dawdle, Sousuke reached inside his jacket, unholstered the PP2000, and then pulled the PDW out. He fired off a series of loud shots, wanting to get everyone's immediate and undivided attention..

"**HOLY SHIT! NOT _AGAIN!_ WE"RE UNDER ATTACK!**"

The exclamation was understandable for a member of the graduating class. The boy was one of many who had been through not one, but two mass kidnappings.

"**CALM DOWN! BE SILENT. LISTEN! **"

Sousuke's voice was followed by another series of shots. A gaggle of girls stumbled over one another, rushing to turn the music off.

"You _had_ to ask him, didn't you?" Kaname said to Oonuki crossly. "I hope you haven't created a monster." She also hoped that this didn't ruin her time with Sousuke.

"But…" Onuki suddenly looked worried. He closed his eyes, trying to wish away a series of unwanted visions from the past. He didn't want to dredge up the ill thoughts he once had of his friend.

"**I AM THE KEEPER OF THE KEYS. IF YOU DROVE AUTOMOBILES OR MOTORCYCLES, YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO BRING ME YOUR KEYS. I WILL RETURN THEM WHEN YOU PROVE SOBRIETY. THOSE THAT BALK SHALL BE DEALT WITH SEVERELY.**"

Sousuke's loud demands had an instantaneous effect. Anyone who drove to the party scrambled to reach the bag. Some, standing up on a level overlooking the lobby, made it a point to throw their keys down. One boy, who had ridden his bicycle, ran to hand Sousuke the key to his chain lock.

"It is not a problem," Sousuke said to Oonuki. "Is something wrong, Kaname?" He held out his hand.

"What kind of nonsense is this, Sousuke? I'm not going to get drunk or something. I don't drink and drive!" Kaname gave Sousuke a look that said he had better put his hand down if he knew what was good for him.

"For a rule to be just, it must pertain to all. There can be _no_ exceptions." Sousuke took a step closer to Kaname. The crowd that had dispersed at the gunshots now reformed, eager to see what might happen.

"I am _not _giving you the keys to my new car, Sousuke!" Kaname took out her keys and dropped them down her blouse. That led to the expected response form the partygoers. "What are you planning on doing if I do not hand them over? Spank me? Send me to my room? Big idiot!"

"If necessary," Sousuke said in all seriousness. His look had Kaname swallowing hard and looking at the nearby girls for support. "I would also hate to damage the buttons on your dress if I am forced to retrieve the keys."

Sousuke meant what he said. Kaname knew that. The whole crowd knew that. The excited murmuring reached new decibel levels.

"**STRIP SEARCH!**" Some wise guy yelled out.

"**GOOD WAY TO GET HIM TO COP A FEEL, KANAME!" **An even less inhibited girl shouted.

"Sousuke, you better not…" Kaname stamped her foot. She shook a fist at him.

"By my watch, you have two minutes and fourteen seconds." Sousuke looked at his new time piece. "I am setting the timer now."

"Hell, the damn punch can wait!" Oonuki forced his way back to a spot near Sousuke and Kaname. "In Sousuke's honor, I might need to re-christen it 'Black-and Blue Passion'!"

"I'd give him the keys, Kaname." It was Kyouko. The gunshots had made it simple to find Sousuke, and Kaname by association. Shinji, Maya, Ryo, and Mizuki all converged on the scene as well. Each of them was grinning. "You know that Sousuke doesn't joke about this kind of thing."

Naturally, the fact that Kyouko was counseling her to do something made Kaname all the more adamant to do nothing of the sort.

"This is such a great party!" Someone shouted.

"Under one minute, Kaname." Sousuke began to sweat heavily. He intended to uphold the law, no matter what it took. He hoped that Kaname realized that.

"I can tell time, stupid head!" Kaname bit her lip, despite trying to keep up a tough front.

"Sousuke…… Sousuke…… Sousuke……"

A chant began and spread throughout the room. The lobby was filled way beyond the Fire Marshall's posted capacity, as everyone hurried to watch what happened.

"**_SOUSUKE_**…… **_SOUSUKE_**…… **_SOUSUKE_**…… **_SOUSUKE_**…… **_SOUSUKE_**…… **_SOUSUKE_**…"

The noise was near deafening. The whole group chanted as one. Kyouko stepped behind Shinji when she caught Kaname's glance.

"Somebody get a camera!" That shout surprised a large number of people. It had been Shinji. The usually quiet boy pushed Kyouko back in front of him. Hand shaking, she took her camera out.

"Thirty seconds, Kaname." Sousuke shivered ever so slightly. If Kurz ever got wind of this, it would be all over Mithril within a day or two.

"Sousuke, you better not!" Kaname put her hand over the neck of her dress.

"Twenty," Sousuke said. "Fifteen."

"**SOUSUKE SAGARA!**" Kaname took a step back. A number of helpful sorts shoved her closer to Sousuke than she had started.

"Ten." Sousuke closed his eyes for a moment. He held his breath as the crowd began counting.

"**NINE**…… **EIGHT**…… **SEVEN**……**SIX**…… **FIVE**….."

"I'm certain your father will be proud of your perseverance, Kaname." Sousuke spoke as quickly as he could. Kaname would give in as usual, wouldn't she?

"**THREE**… **TWO**… **ONE**…."

"Here!" Kaname threw her keys at Sousuke, who deftly snagged them out of the air and deposited them in the bag.

"Jerk!" Kaname turned up her nose. "_Hmmmpppfff!" _

Everyone applauded. It was hard to tell who everyone was cheering for. Sousuke opened his mouth, but held his tongue. Silence might be his best ally at that moment. Unfortunately, he was not out of Kaname's doghouse yet. Not by a long shot.

"Sous-kaaaaay…" Three girls walked up. "We've been bad, Sousuke." One by one, they dropped their keys down their blouses.

"Uhhh…"

"Sousuke…… Sousuke…… Sousuke…"

"**Q-U-I-E-T!**" Kaname's shout was just as effective as the gunshots had been. "Put the keys in the bag, if you know what's good for you." She dared the girls to try any more nonsense. "And for him…" She added under her breath.

After that, things went back to being the usual run-of-the-mill rambunctious party. Seeing that Kaname was pointedly ignoring Sousuke, Ren made use of the opportunity to speak alone with her. "That a very responsible young man you have there."

"Yeh, right. It just looks like I came with him." Kaname grumped. After that, she complained. But, eventually, under her friend's quiet coaxing, she managed to share her feelings, talking about her scholarship and everything else that came out in a rush.

As the girls spoke, Hayashimizu Atsunobu walked over to have a word with Sousuke. "As it turned out, I was correct," the former Student Council President said. "The school suffered greatly, but we were all fortunate that there were no fatalities."

"Yes," Sousuke said, feeling a bit guilty.

"I propose that everything was not a loss. We have all discovered things about ourselves we might not have touched upon otherwise." He pushed his glasses up his nose and looked over at Ren. "Some of us have taken steps that should have been taken long ago."

"I see," Sousuke said.

"Will that be possible for you and her? I take it that she doesn't want to leave the country, but is under some kind of obligation." Hayashimizu stood serenely, giving no clue to how he felt inside.

"It would be difficult for me to follow, if she wanted me to do so. I'm not certain that I…" Sousuke rubbed the back of his neck. It was a difficult subject, made doubly so by the fact that he hadn't had time to think things through yet.

"You do not truly need to stay with that organization, do you?" Hayashimizu asked. "I would not judge you to be one who enjoys violence, despite the way you treated school property." He managed an easy-going grin. One could never be certain what lay underneath the surface a person presented to others. His own secrets were a good lesson in that regard.

"It's just that…." Sousuke hung his head.

"Weight of the world on your shoulder? Feel responsible for everyone else's well-being except your own?" Hayashimizu's shrewd remark had his friend flinching. "Or, are you haunted by more ghosts than you can name?" That question also hit home. "Graduation is a time of changes, is it not. We all must give up something."

Sousuke stood silent and unmoving.

"In any case, strangely enough, it seems that people have come to respect someone they once feared or laughed at." The tall slender boy moved a lock of hair out of his face. "But, things were bad for a while. Next time they might stay that way for good."

"Yes," Sousuke admitted.

"It also looks like they came to shun or blame someone they once admired and appreciated." Hayashimizu loked over at Kaname. "But, it appears that the tide has changed again, at least for some." He rubbed his chin, a calculating look in his eyes. "It might well do her some good, leaving Japan, finding a fresh start overseas."

"There is logic to that," Sousuke said sadly.

"Then again, it might not." Hayashimizu watched as Ren headed in his direction. "I would conjecture that she is very confused, and could use help in finding her answers. While it might be ill-advised to push too hard, it might prove equally bad to remain silent."

Sousuke nodded.

"If I do not see you again… good luck…" Hayashimizu walked away, his hand in Ren's.

Sousuke looked over at Kaname. She was surrounded by a group of girls, many of whom had brought their yearbooks along. He had brought his as well, and wondered about getting remembrances. Many people had already asked for his comments. He had gladly given them, knowing that he would have found their request unfathomable when he first arrived in Tokyo.

He sighed. One point became ever more certain as the night progressed.

There was no way to stop the winds of change.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"We finally graduated!"

A number of guys and gals were shouting happily, banging their glasses together.

"Kaname, I'm glad you decided to show up tonight!" Namie Utado pulled Kaname aside. She had never been one of Kaname's closest friends, but had stuck by her side when many of the other students had begun treating her differently.

"I'm glad I did," Kaname admitted. "People have been much nicer than I expected." She scowled. "Of course, some of that is sympathy for the way that Sousuke treated me. Him and his damn keys!"

"I wonder what he would have done if you didn't give them back." Ayumi Amuro walked over and joined them. "I know what the guys were hoping for!" She winked. It wasn't only the guys who had been anticipating some kind of scandalous event.

"I don't," Kaname said. "He always keeps his word." Kaname frowned. "Most of the time..." She thought back to the time he had left school without even sending her word. She had ended up corralling Wraith, flying out to Hong Kong, and tracking him down. No. She always had to correct herself. Tracking _her_ down. That discovery was still hard to accept.

"Well, that's more than other guys!" Maya looked very upset. Kaname was about to ask why when someone else spoke first.

"Yeh. Guys are slime." Yuri Hamasaki looked over by the punch fountain. "And there are so many cute ones here, tonight. C'mon girls." She grabbed hold of Kaname's arm and began pulling her along.

"Wait. I…" Kaname dug her heals in.

"What's wrong, Kaname?" Yuri asked. "Tonight's all about having fun!"

"Is it Sousuke?" Namie asked. "Are you two dating or something? I know that the two of you spent so much time together, but that was because he was your protector, right?"

"Well… he and I…" Kaname looked for Sousuke, but saw no sign of him. They had come together as dates, in a manner of speaking. But they hadn't really been dating. She was such a quibbler. Why did she find it hard to share her feelings with people she might never see again?

"Some of the girls were convinced that the two of you were sleeping together." Ayumi laughed. "Despite the fact that it was easy to see how clueless the guy is!" That had the other girls laughing too.

"And the fact that you used to be such an idol!" Yuri put her hand over her mouth. "Sorry…"

"Have you two… you know…" Yuri lowered her voice some, as much as she could in that loud room.

"**No!**" Kaname held her hands up. "I mean, we never even kissed or anything." She looked over at Maya again. Yuri's question had upset her for some reason.

"Come on, you can tell us if you have." Namie stepped closer. "It's not like we're going to run around spreading the secret, like some guys would." She actually believed that.

"We haven't!" Kaname said. "I guess it's just as well." Those words had forced themselves out.

"So it was true. The scholarship, I mean?" Ryo walked up. She spared Maya a brief sympathetic look. "I was hoping that someone had made that up."

"They must have lower standards in America," Mizuki quipped. She frowned when no one paid any attention.

"It's true. About the scholarship. I had applied to Columbia, at my father's request. I never thought that I stood a chance of getting in." Kaname shook her head. She drank down a whole cup of punch in a few gulps.

"That's great, I guess." Yuri fluffed out her hair. "But, it's an honor just getting into Tokyo University, right? Wouldn't it be just as good for your career to go there?"

After nodding her head, Kaname went on to explain the promise she had made. She found herself feeling guilty for a moment, being angry at her father. Namie's father had died in a car accident when she was only ten. Ayumi's father had abandoned her mother when his daughter was seven.

"I wouldn't keep that promise," one guy stated, butting in after eavesdropping. A number of his buddies had similar sentiments.

"It costs money to go to college, moron." Yuri shot back. She had a strong dislike for that boy. "Not that you have any reason to know that."

"Your dad wouldn't cut off all of your money if you wanted to stay in Japan, _would_ he?" Ryo asked. "I mean, he really seems to care about you. It's not every father that buys his daughter a car."

"He might," Kaname said, admitting to herself that she really didn't know one way or the other. "But, I would never force him to make that choice. I gave him my word." She took another cup of punch someone handed her. It went down faster than the first. "I love my father…"

"It's not fair, though." Maya said. "If he cares about you, he should think about you, not himself. Why are men so selfish that way?" Her eyes were red. Kaname wondered if her friend had been crying.

"I don't really know what's fair or not," Kaname said. "When my mother died, there was a heavy burden on my father. I certainly didn't make things easy for him." She didn't want to go into details. "With everything he went through, he always tried to do what was best for Ayame and me."

"Including letting you live in Tokyo alone," Namie said. "I can see how that would have been hard for him."

"I can't," Mizuki quipped. Again, no one paid her any heed.

"It was hardest on my sister, I think." Kaname said. "But, my father had already lost my mother and…" Kaname felt her throat tighten up, thinking back to her mother's losing battle with cancer, her death, and the dreaded finality of her funeral.

"You don't want to let him down, right?" Kyouko looked somewhat sad. She had been accepted to a college in Tokyo. The two of them had talked about seeing a lot of each other during school.

"How can I?" Kaname sighed. "He has never let me down."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

"Engineering degree?"

Sousuke stood with Shinji, neither of them drinking the ubiquitous purple punch.

"Yes. I hope so. Hey, for all I know, I might actually be working on a team that designs something like a Gundam some day!" Shinji looked sheepish when a number of guys laughed at his comment. He looked down at his feet when a group of girls put their heads together to talk.

"Indeed, given your hobbies, you might enjoy working for the military." Sousuke said. "It might please your father if you follow in his footsteps." He held out his bag, so that a late arrival could drop his keys in. For a moment, he stared into the blackness at the bottom of the large sack. He had so few memories of his own father, and those he had were shoddy at best.

"I guess so," Shinji said. "Sometimes I'm not so sure." He shook his head. "I know that my mother wouldn't be so happy!"

"Yeh, but _you'll_ be the one needing to make a living, not your mother." One boy spoke with a slurred voice. He almost fell over reaching for another drink. "Parents can't make all of our decisions for us. If we chose the wrong career, it will screw up our whole life!"

That statement prompted everyone to talk about where they were headed, and where they hoped to be ten years down the road. When Sousuke was the only one who hadn't spoken, they all turned to stare at him expectantly.

"I am not certain," Sousuke admitted. "As you know, my life is greatly different than yours. Perhaps I can change that, but…" He shrugged. He didn't have the answer that they sought. But, that wasn't surprising. He didn't have the answers that he himself sought.

"I bet it can't help that Kaname is going to America, huh?" Shinji asked. He had strong suspicions on how close his two friends really were.

"Nice!" One girl said, sarcastically. Shinji's blunt question wouldn't make Sousuke feel any better.

"What?" Shinji looked baffled. What had he said?

"Boys…" Another girl shook her head.

"Chill, girls." One guy from the music class "I don't see what it really matters. Sagara might not have done too well at the Flirting Contest, but I bet he could get any girl he wants tonight!" He belched. "Hell, he wouldn't have to stop at just one. Right ladies?" He sounded somewhat envious.

Walking by, Maya broke into tears. As Sousuke watched, she vanished into the crowd.

A number of the party-goers tried to tell Sousuke that there were a lot of fish in the sea. Others tried to get him to say whether or not the two were a couple, insisting that he should do whatever was necessary to stay with her if they were.

Sousuke felt a need to walk outside and clear his head. Standing in front of the building, he took in the scent of the evening air. Looking over to one side, he saw what he first thought were fireflies. It was a group of boys smoking.

"It will be alright, Maya."

It was Ryo's voice. It came from a small porch off the entrance patio. As Sousuke walked closer, he saw that Kaname's two friends were sitting on a small wicker sofa. He corrected himself. Ryo and Maya were his friends too.

"Sousuke. You must be looking for Kaname." Ryo was holding a box of tissues. "I know that you two came together tonight."

"Yes. I would like to spend time with her. But, at the moment, I am wondering why Maya looks upset. If someone has done something improper, it may well be my duty to instruct that person in proper behavior. Oonuki did not mention that as a requisite for the Sergeant at Arms, but it would appear to be a practical responsibility.

"It's too late for that," Maya said. "I wish you could just shoot someone for me. No, it might be better if you shoot _me." _

"She's drunk," Ryo said. "No one has done anything to hurt her tonight." She didn't want Sousuke to make any kind of scene.

"Yes he has." Maya insisted. "Takashi came to the party tonight. He brought _her_ with him." She leaned her head back and drank from a cocktail glass. "They don't have to be so dramatic about it."

"No more drinks for you, girl." Ryo gently took the glass out of her friend's hand. "Here, Sousuke. Could you please take this inside." She held out the glass. The rim was smeared with lipstick. It looked like blood in the poor lighting.

Sousuke looked at a small table next to the couch. It was stacked with various cups, bottles, and glasses. Ryo's request was one for privacy, not neatness and propriety. "I think it would be better if you return the glass. I have something that I need to ask Maya."

"I don't think that is a good idea. You're not exactly…." Ryo stopped.

"It is important." Sousuke insisted.

"It's alright, Ryo. Thank you." Maya slid over on the couch and let Sousuke sit down. "I really wouldn't want you to hurt him, you know?" She watched at Ryo walked away, looking back a number of times.

"That is not my first concern," Sousuke said, wishing he knew how to be more sensitive to other people's problems. "Especially since I do not know the details." He spoke in a stern voice. "What you said before. I hope you are not thinking of hurting yourself. You should know that I would not shoot you in any case." He felt foolish, saying that. But, he had a point to make.

Maya shook her head vehemently. "No. I wouldn't do that. But… well… " She tried to look Sousuke in the eyes. "I kind of thought about it for a while."

"I see," Sousuke waited for Maya to go on.

"He's not worth it." She said with a sudden flare of anger. " No boy is worth it. Guys are nothing but jerks." She shook her head, catching her faux pas. "Sorry."

"If you have any thoughts about harming yourself, I suggest that you talk to Kaname." Sousuke wondered if he should take that tack. Kaname's secrets were not his to tell. If Maya did not already know about Kaname's dark past, it was not his business it to reveal such things.

"Kaname had enough troubles of her own to deal with now. I'll be OK. Maya sounded certain, but Sousuke decided it was not worth taking a risk. He whispered a silent apology to Kaname.

"At one time, when she was in Junior High, Kaname seriously considered taking her own life." Sousuke's revelation had Maya looking shocked. She hadn't known Kaname back then. "Things may have been bad for her at one point, but they became much better."

It was Maya's turn to sit silently. Her thoughts were a jumble.

"I will tell you something about myself." Sousuke sat forward, placing his elbows on his knees. He looked off into the night, watching cars pass by on the street. "I have not told this to anyone in Tokyo other than Kaname."

Maya listened as Sousuke gave her a synopsis of his early life.

"Things seemed bleak and hopeless. I lived just to survive." Sousuke said. "My life became better when I found my current employment. Even so, it was not everything it could be. I did not understand that, until I came here."

"Because of Kaname?" Maya asked.

"Yes." Sousuke said.

"And she's going to America." Maya put her hand to her mouth.

Sousuke nodded. They were both silent for a while.

"I thought that Takashi loved me," Maya said, feeling a need to share as Sousuke had done. "I liked him for a long time. We began spending time together. He said that couldn't live without me. I fell in love with him." She paused. Looking up, she saw that Ryo and a couple of her other friends were hovering at a distance. "He wasn't just my first love. He was my first sex. But, the whole time, he was going out with Mitsune. He came with her tonight."

"It does not sound like he is worth getting upset over," Sousuke said.

"You're right." Maya sniffed, and then dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "I never would have guessed that he would turn out to be such a jerk." She put the tissue down. "I never would have guessed that Sousuke Sagara would be so kind and considerate."

"That may not matter," Sosusuke said glumly. The look in his eyes gave hint of a pain he rarely let anyone see.

"Things can get better, right?" Maya tried to smile. She squeezed Sousuke's hand. "Isn't that what you just got finished telling me?"

"Affirmative." Sousuke did not sound entirely convinced. "It is a good thing that tonight is such a happy night, is it not?"

Maya actually laughed. She leaned over and gave Sousuke a hug. "Thank you."

"It is not a problem."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Over here, Sousuke."

Kaname waved, when Sousuke caught up with her again. She was sitting in the center of Oonuki's living room along with a large number of their classmates.

"Righteous!" One of the Drama Club's members was a bit too dramatic for everyone's tastes. "Now that Sagara is here, things ought to get really good!"

Sousuke sat down next to Kaname. He wondered what had the other graduates looking so eager. "Kaname?"

"Everyone was telling some of their favorite tales from high school. I mentioned a couple about you, and some about my other friends. " She spoke into his ear, so only he could hear her. "If you tell any stories, you better not make me look bad, mister."

"Come on man, I'm certain you must have a lot of great stories." One boy's comment was echoed by others.

"Affirmative. I do not know if they are great, but there were numerous memorable events." He debated just what he could tell them. They already knew he was a mercenary. They knew that he fought in Arm Slaves. As long as he did not mention Mithril by name, or divulge any classified information, he did not see the harm in reminiscing out loud. "Did you tell them about the Bonta-Kun suit?" He asked Kaname.

"Yes. I did. I also told them about that psycho, Wakana." Kaname declined a drink someone offered her. She was light-headed enough as it was.

"Did you tell them about the full story regarding the day at the beach, the one with the watermelon and the boy with poor health?" He remembered floating down from the heights holding onto a large balloon, Kaname in his arms.

"I did. It was OK for _me_ to mention it." Kaname scowled. "Not you."

Sousuke looked around the assembled faces, looking to see if someone would clue him in. He had mistakenly thought that Kaname had been kidnapped. He mounted a successful rescue attempt, defeating three professional bodyguards in the process. He may have been a bit rough with the boy, but he had taught him an important lesson.

"The white bikini," one girl said.

"The one she bought especially for that trip to the beach." Another girl added.

"The swimsuit you didn't even notice." Yet another girl gave Kaname a sympathetic look.

Sousuke rushed to change the subject. "How about the time I trained to be Shirai for Mizuki's friends?"

"What?" Kaname folded her arms across her chest. That was another sore subject.

"Uhhh… never mind… that one is not so good after all…." Sousuke tried to rush onward. He was shouted down by the group. Reluctantly, he told the story.

"Circulatory problem. Yeh, right!" One guy slapped his knee. A number of his friends laughed. They soon stopped when Kaname looked in their direction.

"How about our hunt for Captain Amigo's treasure?" Sousuke caught himself before he mentioned Merida Island by name. When Kaname shook her head, he continued. "Kaname and I sought a long lost treasure."

"D'oh!" One boy smacked his forehead. "Like buried treasure exists outside of bad movies."

"We found a treasure worth eleven million U.S. Dollars." He raised his hands when everyone doubted him. "It is true. Unfortunately, in the process, we destroyed an M6 Bushnell Arm Slave...worth eleven million U.S. Dollars."

"She probably tried to hit him with her paper fan," one girl commented. "Hit the Arm Slave instead."

"Yeh. Not too many things are as tough as Sousuke. Eleven million doesn't get you much these days." That boy's remark had Kaname frowning. Sousuke always came out as the good guy. She always came out as the heavy. Why?

"I take it that some of you remember when a visiting professor donated a rare and endangered clam to Jindai High School?" Sousuke looked around the room. Oddly enough, most people had not heard the full details of that story.

"Sousuke!" Kaname shook a finger at him. She would be viewed as the villain in that story for sure.

"Ahhh. Did you wish to be the one who told it, Kaname?" Sousuke had a very affable tone of voice, greatly at odds with the look on Kaname's face.

"Go…… ahead…… Sousuke…" Kaname said, with a false smile. "I…… don't…… mind…" No one believed a single word that she said. "Really!"

"Thank you," Sousuke said. "Kaname accidentally ate the clam."

"How do you accidentally eat a clam?" A girl asked.

"When Ms. Kagurazaka and I found that the treasured clam was missing, I lead the investigation committee, hoping to find the culprit who had brutally murdered an innocent and unarmed being in cold blood, violating it with ice picks, and setting it ablaze in an oven."

"Way to go Chidori!" One guy clapped his hands together. "If I had known, I would have brought you an 'I ate an entire endangered species' T-shirt for a graduation present." That was only the first of a series of playful quips.

At first Kaname began to get steamed. But, she soon realized that everyone was laughing _with_ her, not at her. Things were a lot different than she had feared they might be. While she didn't want to admit it, there might actually be a benefit to Sousuke telling these stories. They wouldn't see her as some diva, idol, or force of nature. She would have flaws and foibles, just like everyone else.

"Another day, I met an old man named Komura Shujiro, a former lieutenant in the old Imperial Japanese Navy." Sousuke looked over at Kaname and nodded. "Mr. Komura asked me to help him find a carry-on bag that some hooligans had stolen from him. Due to a mistake on my part, I came to believe that the bag contains some form of lethal toxic agent."

"Where have we heard _that_ kind of thing before?" One girl said, blushing. She had been surrounded by guys when the Full Monty Virus took effect. The only person blushing any redder was Kyouko, who was sitting next to Oonuki.

"The interesting coincidence to that story was that Mr. Komura is Kaname's grandfather." Sousuke shrugged. "Fate is a funny thing."

"Hey, I remember a good one!" A girl stood up, laughing. "It's another Mizuki story."

"**Boooooo**…."

Everyone looked at Kaname.

"That wasn't me. Honest!" Kaname held her hands up.

"Sousuke and Issei were fighting, as usual," the girl said. "They accidentally bumped Mizuki out the window. When Issei saved her from falling, she fell in love with him. She kept chasing after him, professing her feelings."

"Right!" A boy joined in. " Issei hadn't gotten enough sleep for several days, and actually asked for Sousuke's help in getting Mizuki off his back. He collapsed into Sousuke's arms due to insomnia. Kaname saw it happen. She…" He was interrupted.

" When Sousuke asked Mizuki to stop chasing after Issei, she got the wrong idea. She thought that Sousuke was jealous that Mizuki was after Issei." The boy could barely hold back his glee. "She thought that Sousuke and Issei were gay."

"They're _not?" _That girls' joke had everyone collapsing with laughter.

As Sousuke stammered, he came to a realization. He was the veteran of countless missions. He had saved many lives. He had stopped many insidious plots. But, the mission that ended up meaning the most to him was one that he had been the most baffled by at first. The mission that brought him to Tokyo, with a picture of Kaname taken years prior to his arrival. Fate truly _was_ a funny thing. Had he not come to Jindai, he would never be sitting here now. Where else would he had been able to share a moment like this with people his own age?

"I'm certainly willing to find out," another girl said, only half in jest. The half jest part was the only thing that had Kaname holding her tongue.

"I remember another one, too" a guy put in. "Oonuki, Sousuke, and Shinji went out on a gou-kon date with three older women. Things went weird after they each went their separate ways into the night with their girls. At least that's what Oonuki told me."

"Really?" Kaname's voice was deceptively calm. "I never heard anything about _that _story. Sounds very… interesting…"

"Uhhh… it was not truly a date," Sousuke said quickly. He went on to describe his experience, which had everyone laughing at just how clueless he had been.

"Sousuke…" Oonuki stood up, a bit wobbly in the legs. "Sousuke, I…." He fought to maintain his balance. "I owe you an apology."

"It is not necessary. I believe I know what you refer to. It was a difficult moment for everyone." Sousuke looked over at Kaname. He hadn't told her what Oonuki had said to him, right after he had admitted who he was to the entire class. The only thing that truly mattered had been that he made a promise to bring Kaname back. He had kept that promise.

"I… I hated you then…" Oonuki sat down hard.

"I believe that I hated myself then more than anyone did." Sousuke looked over at Kyouko, who met his eyes before looking away.

Everyone spoke up to support Sousuke then, something that had him feeling a sense of approval he had never felt before in his life. Kaname looked over at him, knowing that she was as much to blame as he was, if not more.

"No, man. The words were uncalled for. Well, maybe I had a right to say what I did, thinking what I did. I just should have apologized later. You were fighting to protect Kaname. But, I know that you would have fought to protect the city, and to protect the school." Oonuki looked over at Kyouko. "Everyone was just so shocked at the time."

Sousuke remembered some of his friend's words at the time. Kyouko had been seriously injured in the fight that Sousuke and Arbalest lost against Leonard and Verial. The various sentences all seemed to run together:

'_Wait a minute...'I'm sorry'...? That's all you can say? Say that to Tokiwa! She's still in the hospital hooked up to a respirator and tubes hooked all over her body! You know the last word she said to her parents before she fell into a coma? She gave them a key to Chidori's apartment and asked them to take care of Chidori's hamster! She said that was her promise that she made with you! Don't you guys even feel a single remorse for what you did to Tokiwa? She had nothing to do with this. You call yourself a friend? Fuck you! Why the fuck did you come back? Cuz, it's funny? If you have nothing more to do at school, get the fuck out of here!'_

"I do not know that you do," Sousuke said sadly. "Kyouko is my friend. I would gladly give my life to save her. Or you." He looked over at Kaname. "But I…" He couldn't say what was on his tongue. It was just too personal for him. He had been about to say that he would have whatever it took to save Kaname.

"I understand, Sousuke," Kyouko said. She came over and whispered in his ear. "I love Kaname, too. She's my best friend."

"Thank you," Sousuke said very quietly, his head hung. As Kaname watched him, she had to turn away. She couldn't help herself. Tears streamed down her face. She didn't know exactly what set her off. Kyouko's ordeal? Sousuke's obvious guilt and remorse? The strength of Sousuke's feelings for her, and the fact that she might soon be leaving him behind? It could be any one of those, or all that and more.

A girl that Kaname hardly knew put her arm around Kaname.

"It is indeed funny about Fate," Sousuke finally managed to say. "The difference between life and death can be so small. The difference between friends and enemies can be just as small." He went on to tell them about Kurz Weber, without ever mentioning him by name. "I have a friend. His family was killed by a terrorist bomb explosion at an airport. He quit school and went to a militia camp in Lebanon, to learn military skills for revenge. He trained with various weaponry and learned tactical fighting skills. He showed a seemingly innate ability to excel in sniping."

Kaname mouthed the name 'Kurz.' She shivered. Sousuke had never told her this story before. Kurz. Melissa. Sousuke. Herself. They all shared a common bond. Their childhoods or early adulthood were marred by hardships or senseless tragedy. Looking around the room, she felt a small rush of jealousy. She wondered how many of her classmates had lived the storybook life.

" Ever since then, my friend has been a mercenary for hire, serving with the same force that I do. There are few people in this world that I trust more. But, things could have ended up much differently. We fought against each other in one guerilla battle in Lebanon, several years before we actually met face to face." That tale lead to a similar one about Kalinin.

Everyone sat quietly. It was somehow a very solemn moment. They all knew that there were lessons in life that had nothing to do with school.

"I have been lucky in finding my friends," Sousuke said. He looked around the room at the people sitting nearest to him.

Kaname wasn't the only thing that might fade from his life.


	5. five

"Keys."

Sousuke sat with Kaname and a group of students in the lobby. Everyone was swapping tame stories about the time they shared together. Some were talking excitedly about the next big step, while others were musing idly about the future.

"Huh? _Whazzat?" _

It sounded like the guy and his buddies had already been drinking.

"I shall repeat. Hand over your car keys. I have been assigned the task of keeping keys." Sousuke spoke pleasantly.

"**What?" **One guy looked like he woke up and found a horse's head in his bed. **"**That'sh bogush."

"Yeh. This isn't school any more, Sagara." Another boy looked belligerent. His face was red and his eyes looked funny. "This is about partying, not some stupid horseshit rules." He carried a boombox on one shoulder. It was playing loud enough to hear over the crowd noise.

"Who _is_ this jerk?" One of the other guys asked. He was not from Jindai High school. Sousuke knew that, as he had kept up to date with student photos for every class present at the school while he and Kaname were there.

"It appears that we have a very unfortunate situation." Sousuke flexed the fingers on both hands. "Anyone driving a motor vehicle must leave their keys with me if they wish to join the festivities. No exceptions." He watched the boy's faces. They were not going to follow that rule.

"_Ooooooh. _I see. It's and unfortunate situation. Oh my." One guy with a crew cut hooked his hand inside the top of his jeans, snickering.

"Also, the party was limited to Jindai students and school staff. Exceptions might be made for family members." Sousuke did not want to have to resort to violence. He found himself caring what his friends thought of him. He did not want one of their last memories of him to be some kind of altercation.

"Shit. We're all twins!" One boy quipped.

"Come on. Why are we standing here listening to this clown." Another boy tried to push Sousuke out of his way. Before he knew it, he was on his back, a foot on his neck.

"I was _not_ done speaking," Sousuke said. Putting just enough wait on his foot to immobilized the boy. "Excuse me. At the table. You will all serve as witnesses." He addressed his words to his fellow students, meeting Kaname's eyes in the process. He let the boy up.

If the confrontation had happened at the beginning of his stay in Tokyo, Kaname would have been all over him like white on rice, sending him tumbling with a swing of her halisen or the toss of a base from the ball field. Now, she simply sat calmly, trusting Sousuke with his duties. Nevertheless, one of her hands gripped the table firmly. It was still Sousuke after all, and trust only went so far.

"You will all note that these boys have arrived at the party inebriated. It is important to remember their faces and name if you know them. For purposes of liability, they did not become intoxicated at _this_ party." Sousuke was satisfied when his fellow graduates nodded their heads. "Jindai students who give me their keys may stay. All others will leave."

"Who says? You and what army?" One burly boy didn't realize the accuracy of his question.

"I think we better go," one of the Jindai students in the unruly group said. H eknew better than to mess with Sousuke.

"Yesh. I guessh we don't have a choicesh." He stared at Sousuke. "F-cking asshhole." While he spoke, a song came on the boom box, which was tuned to a channel playing American Rock classics. As fate would have it, the song was Alice Cooper's _'School's Out.' _The had the boy sneering. "He alwaysh blowsh up everything. He ruinsh our plansh tonight. And we have to lishen to him. It'sh jush wrong."

"We don't have to listen to nobody," the most muscular of the bunch claimed. "I mean, there's eight of us and one of him. What are you guys, a bunch of fags?" He looked at Sousuke and shook his head.

"Is there a problem, Sousuke?" Ono walked over, having been told that some kind of ruckus was shaping up.

"Hey man, why is Sagara pulling this shit?" One of the boys asked Ono. "Did you put him up to it? I don't even know why you invited that bastard. I remember what you said the day when he came clean. You put him in his place, dude."

"Most of them appear drunk. None will hand over their keys, if they indeed have any. Many are acting in belligerent fashion." Sousuke reported briskly. A number of the party-goers spoke up to confirm his claims.

"Sousuke is doing as I asked." Oonuki said, still wobbly. He put on hand on Sousuke's shoulder to steady himself. "Those are the rules of the party. While I agree with them, I did not make them. They come from the owners of this building, and the tenants who let this party take place."

The situation eventually cooled down. The boys left, kicking over a table and a trash can on their way out. Sousuke took out his cell phone, dialed a number, and spoke succinctly.

"You didn't call the police, _did_ you?" Ono looked a bit worried.

"Negative. I cannot leave my post here. However, those boys will be observed. I do not wish them causing mischief outside the premises." Sousuke closed the phone and placed it back in his jacket.

"Did you ask some friends to the party, Sousuke?" Kaname walked up, accompanied by Kyouko. "Isn't that against the rules?" She smiled. "Is it 'K' and 'M'?"

Sousuke nodded. "They insisted on coming. No doubt they would rather be inside, just as we are. But, they will make certain that nothing untoward takes place." By the look on Sousuke's face, Kaname could tell that he wasn't talking about troublesome teenagers.

"Do you think…" Kyouko looked worried. She had good reason, having been sensitized after her prior ordeals.

"We are no in any possible danger are we? I thought that the terrorists were…" Ono suddenly looked concerned. He had never really considered that angle. It would have been difficult for him as a friend of tehm both, but he could have kept Sousuke and Kaname off of the guest list. He could still ask them to leave now.

"If you wish us to leave, we will do so." Sousuke correctly interpreted Ono's response. He turned to Kyouko. "I would also leave if my being here caused you too much discomfort."

"You better not be speaking for _me, _mister!" Kaname said. Her usual need satisfied, she spoke seriously to her two friends. "If my being here…"

"It's OK, Kaname." Kyouko shook her head.

"There is low likelihood of danger," Sousuke said. "I always like to be on the safe side."

"He always likes to be on the 'paranoid, anything could be a danger, when it's obviously OK' side." Kaname groused. But she smiled. "He _is_ getting better, though." She took a step closer to Sousuke. "He had _better_ be getting better…"

"That's right," Shinji said walking up. "He could have taken those jerks down, but didn't." Shinji actually sounded disappointed. "But, what would you have done if they wanted to cause major trouble?" He still idolized Sousuke, and sometimes found himself living vicariously through his friend.

"Sousuke would have done what any other student would have done," Kaname said, speaking for Sousuke. She smiled, seeing him close his mouth without saying anything.

"I cannot speak for her," Sousuke said. "But she seems quite willing to speak for me." Sousuke should have kept his mouth shut.

"Yeh. Women. Can't live with them, can't live without them." Ono stumbled and landed against Kyouko. She didn't seem to mind.

"So, is she right?" Shinji asked. "Wouldn't you have bluffed them with your gun?" He looked over at Kaname. "I doubt that any other student here is carrying weapons."

"I would not have bluffed," Sousuke said. "It is unwise to prompt an escalation that one is unable to match… unless there is no alternative whatsoever." He noticed that the group of people listening in on the conversation was steadily growing.

"So, you wouldn't have shot them?" Shinji sounded too much like a fan boy for Sousuke's and Kaname's liking.

"Of course not," Kaname said, making it sound like Shinji was an idiot. "He only brought along blanks. _That's_ bad enough as it is." She scrutinized Sousuke's face. "Right, Sousuke?"

Sousuke did not answer. He tried to keep his facial features from changing. Taking out the PP2000, he ejected the clip and handed it to Shinji. His friend looked like he had been handed a gold bar or a top shelf girlie magazine.

"Cool. These are blanks alright." He too paid close attention to Sousuke's face, unwilling to believe that the young soldier hadn't brought something more substantial. "And you didn't bring anything else."

"I only brought one clip of blanks," Sousuke answered. He could say that much without lying. That wasn't the point. He would have been better off if he _had_ lied.

"What other clips did you bring, Sousuke." Kaname stepped closer to him. "Do I need to pat you down?" Her Kaname-sense told her that Sousuke was hiding something.

"Only if you want to, Kaname. I give you my solemn oath that I will not inform your father." Sousuke put one hand in his pocket. It was a clever answer. While it would have backfired had she followed through, he correctly judged that she would not do so in front of everybody. He also knew that the metal detector she had once bought would not fit inside her purse.

"I'm _not_ about to do something like that," Kaname said. "Big idiot!"

Sousuke relaxed ever so slightly.

"I'm not going to do it, Sousuke. But, my father won't care if someone else does. Don't you think it might be fun if everyone got involved?" Kaname smiled sweetly.

"**PILE ON!**"

Someone called out from the back of the crowd. Before the people at the periphery of the room knew what had happened, Sousuke was brought to the ground by the shear weight of the people rushing towards him. Unwilling to hurt his friends and fellow graduates, he was effectively immobilized.

"**_Aha! _**What have we _here?" _One girl pulled out a pen that Sousuke had for yearbook signing. "Is it just a pen, or some kind of weapon." Taken apart, the pen proved to be nothing more than it looked.

"What's _this?" _One guy handed a second clip to Shinji.

"It looks like rubber bullets," Shinji answered. He quickly handed them to Kaname when she held out her hand.

"I've got something!" A girl pulled out a wad of paper that had gone through the wash cycle. "Never mind." She sounded crestfallen.

"Wait. Almost got it. Shit. It's just breath spray." A boy frowned when he tossed the small canister to a friend.

"I don't know. Maybe it's knockout gas or something." He sprayed it on one of his buddies. "Hey, asshole!" He sniffed. "Yeh, just breath spray. Minty fresh."

"Sousuke… is this another clip in your pocket, or are you happy to see me?" One of the girls who had dropped keys down her shirt looked over at Kaname as she removed the next item from Sousuke's pants. Ono took the clip from the girl and tossed it to Shinji.

"**_Whoa! _**These have a hardened steel penetrator core enclosed in a bimetallic jacket. It must be armor-piercing ammunition."

"Alright. Everybody up. I've seen all that I need to see." Kaname looked as if she had bitten down on something exceedingly sour. Her frown deepened when she noticed that a number of girls were still frisking Sousuke, who tried valiantly to get to his feet. "Enough already. Show some dignity. _Hmmmpppfff!" _

"**_Oooo-o-o-o-oh_**. My my my…" One girl held something high above her head. "I found the good stuff!"

"What? Give it here." A taller girl grabbed it away. "Condoms."

"Let me see." Another girl swiped the box. "Ribbed."

"For her pleasure," a fourth girl added, looking over the other girl's shoulder and reading a blurb on the box.

"For _whose_ pleasure?" The girls all asked. Slowly, as if synchronized, they turned to look at Kaname. At first, Kaname felt as if she were shrinking. Before she knew it, she would be paramecium-sized, gone from view. But, her anger grew and soon eclipsed any and all feelings of shock and embarrassment. She felt as if she were expanding, soon to be far too large to fit in the building.

"**SOUSUKE!" **

Kaname's shout carried every question imaginable. When had he gotten those? Where had he gotten those? _Why_ had he gotten those? Her shout also said that she didn't hear anything that Sousuke had to say. If he had gotten them for her, he was far from presumptuous. If he had gotten them for anyone else, she never wanted to see him again.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke froze.

"Of course. What _else_ would you say? You complete and total jerk!" With that, Kaname turned and stomped off. The crowd parted quickly, letting her through.

"But… they were a gift from Kurz… he made them promise to carry them in my jacket pocket… I didn't expect to…" Sousuke's voice ran down. Kaname was clearly not listening. Fact was, she wasn't even in the same room any more.

"Well, Sousuke. I don't care what those drunken morons said." Ono patted Sousuke on the back. "I'm glad I invited you." He chuckled. "You're the life of the party, guy!"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"I almost wish that you didn't show restraint."

Sousuke stopped in front of one of the large food-covered tables in the lobby. Tsubaki Issei was standing there with a number of his Karate Club friends.

"Why is that?" Sousuke asked his one-time adversary.

"I saw the whole thing. So did they." He motioned to his companions. "It would have been nice to teach them better manners." He scowled. "I hate guys like that."

"Yes. They are selfish and arrogant. Their courage comes from drink, or from being in a group." Sousuke picked up a well-shaped and flaky Taiyaki. "Some day, they may gain their come uppence." He broke apart the waffle-like pastry and looked inside. The carp-shaped cake was filled with chocolate and custard, not sweet azuki bean paste.

"I hope so," Tsubaki said, sighing. "I know that I shouldn't feel such anger… just as I shouldn't have rushed to fight with you so often."

"One who truly understands karate is not easily drawn into a fight," Sousuke said. "An drill instructor of mine once told me that." The man had not been training Sousuke in karate. But, the lesson held true for a number of martial arts.

"Yes. My head knows that, but…" Tsubaki accepted a drink that one of his trainees had brought him. "I train in karate because it requires discipline and perseverance… teaches me about my limitations… and helps me to achieve unity of body and spirit."

"Forging the body also helps forge the mind," Sousuke said, taking a tentative bite of Taiyaki. "There is no sense in conditioning the body, if one does not condition the mind." That was a truth that Sousuke had learned many times over, through his own experiences, or by watching fellow soldiers and combatants.

"Exactly," Tsubaki said, surprised to find someone outside of his club who understood that. "But, the reason I enjoy training others, is so they can knock around guys like those." He eyed the Taiyaki. "The two goals are at odds. The words I teach are not always the ones I follow."

The other Karate Club members stood listening. They admired Tsubaki to the point of adoration. Each of them was hanging on his every word.

"Realizing that truth is important, I believe." Sousuke said. "I have heard a saying from a different soldier I served with in the past. 'It takes a lifetime to learn karate'. That may be true about many things." Sousuke ran a hand through his hair. He didn't have a lifetime to learn many of the things he needed to know. He had ten weeks at the most.

"I guess that's true." Tsubaki nodded. "Maybe you're smarter than you look." He smiled. "Is that any good?" He pointed to the Taiyaki,

"Yes. It is very flavorful." Sousuke went to take another bite, but frowned when half of the fish-shaped cake fell off. "It would not hold up under adverse conditions, however."

"So, do you think of _everything_ in military terms?" Tsubaki asked after hearing Sousuke's qualification of the Taiyaki. "Like, 'would the Taikuki make a good weapon'? Or, 'would it make good provisions if you were trapped in a jungle somewhere'?"

"If you found a strange Taiyuki in your locker, would you blow it up?" One of the Karate trainees spoke up, following his sempai's lead.

Another one bit the tale off of a pastry fish, tossed the body, and hit the ground, as if he had thrown a live grenade. His fellow trainees followed suit.

"They're a work in progress," Tsubaki said with an exasperated sigh. He took a bite off of his cake and made a contented noise. "Seriously, will you return to being a full time warrior, now that you have finished high school and…?" He sounded wistful. The reason for that was two fold. First, Kaname happened to pass by at that instant. She smiled at him, making it a point to ignore Sousuke. Second, as a younger boy, he had imagined himself as a warrior, but one far less modern than the ones that fought with cruise missiles and walking tanks.

"Kaname will be overseas." Sousuke completed the other boy's though, his eyes Kaname. "I am not certain what I will do. I have walked away before. But, the closest friends I have remain on the team. Even more important, I am the only one who can pilot the most crucial Arm Slave in the free world. More and more, I find myself wishing that were not the case."

"Oh." Tsubaki looked uncomfortable. "Sometimes I get so angry, I feel like I want to hurt someone. That concerns me, because my training makes it simple to injure someone severely." He cursed when a large blob of custard splattered on his dress shoes. "In your job, the idea is to kill people." The unspoken questions were clear enough: 'Do you enjoy that'? 'Wouldn't you want to get away from that'?

Affirmative." Sousuke accepted another Taiyaki that one of the karate trainees handed him. He usually did not eat that much sweet food in the course of a year. But, it would be impolite to just place it back. "It is unavoidable. There is a saying. 'The fastest draw is when the sword never leaves the scabbard. The strongest way to block, is never to provoke a blow. And the cleanest cut is the one withheld.' There is great wisdom in that. The tenet holds true in the military, especially in situations between nations." he broke apart the pastry. That one held some kind of sweet cheese. "With terrorists, the concept is useless and misguided."

"When I was wanting to kick those drunken jerks around, I tried to justify things by saying they were bad guys, and they deserved it." Tsubaki flexed the fingers on one hand, and then on the other. "Is that something you do? Does it make it easier to kill someone?" It was strange. He found himself wondering what made Sousuke tick. Months ago, he would have wished that the young soldier would vanish from the face of the earth.

"Many soldiers say things like that. I did so myself, once. However, my thinking is much simpler now. It is a matter of comparison." Sousuke ran one finger over the ersatz scales of the cake. "I ask myself, 'who would I rather have live, myself, or my enemy.' Or, 'what would be worse, to kill three men, or to stand by and permit the death of thousands.' I do not know if that makes things right. Whether or not it does, I take no pleasure in killing, or in causing destruction."

"Tell that to the Principal!" One guy said, overhearing the conversation. As part of the Student Council, he used to help file papers after school. On a number of occasions, the Principal had complained about repair costs.

"No, tell it to the janitor." A girl pointed.

Sure enough, the Jindai Janitor, Mr.Zenji, had been invited to the celebration. He was cradling a Taiyaki, murmuring while he stroked it with his hand. Looking over at the two boys who had done him wrong, he smiled a frightful smile. He trembled as Tsubaki bit the head off of another cake.

"I don't see any power tools Just the same, it might be wise to walk elsewhere." Tsubaki had vivid memories of Sousuke, the janitor, a pet carp, and a chainsaw.

"I agree," Sousuke said.

The two continued their conversation over by a rented bar set-up. Tsubaki and Sousuke found that they had a number of beliefs and attitudes in common. The karate boy envied Sousuke for his decisiveness. The young soldier envied Tsubaki for his past.

There was no way for Sousuke to erase the things that he had done, just as their was no way to take away the things that had been done to him. It was possible, however, to keep from adding more marks against his conscience. He could leave the mercenary service. But, he did so, would he be a fish out of water?

In school, he been away from a military environment, but he had remained a soldier. It had been hard, adjusting to civilian life. It had been Kaname that helped him adjust. It had been his feelings for her that helped him grow. What would happen when she was gone?

As Tsubaki spoke with his friends, Sousuke thought back to his time in Hong Kong, when he had met up with a quadriplegic Gauron.

'Look at you. You used to be cool. Now that you adapted to civilian life, you became loser like the rest of them. Guess what? I'll help you return to your kick ass state, Kashim. You know that girl that you have your heart set on? Well, she's dead! Ha ha ha. I ordered her death! Now throw your anger! Lash out at the world! Put a bullet into my head! Become who you truly are, a ruthless killer!'

He had shot Gauron, barely escaping a death trap that the crazed man had set. In his heart, he knew that his old enemy had been telling the truth. What he didn't know, was that the assassin working for Gauron had been killed by Leonard's Astarol robots while he attempted to kill Kaname.

During Amalgam's attempts to instigate a civil war between the North and South provinces of mainland China, the assassin's brother had ironically stolen one of Amalgam's Venom Arm Slaves, in tent on causing unauthorized damage to spite his superiors in Amalgam. While the destruction raged, Sousuke just stood staring at the world, acting as if he didn't have anything left living for. He even declined to enter battle when Clouzot, Melissa, Kurz, and other Mithril pilots in M9s had been faced by the five Venoms that had killed the rogue pilot as they watched.

It had been Kaname that snapped him out of that. She had showed up in Hong Kong, black mailing Wraith into finding him.

In less than three months, Kaname would be starting a life that he might be excluded from. How would he deal with her loss this time?

"Hey! There's the happy couple!"

Sousuke snapped out of his daydreaming. He turned to see who had spoken. It was the boy who had told the story about Tsubaki's insomnia and Kaname's misconceptions. He was obviously joking.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke said. "It might be wise not to stand so close together."

"Huh?" Tsubaki asked. "What?"

Sousuke explained things to Tsubaki. He saw the other boy's eyes go wide. Tsubaki took a few steps way. "Damn. I don't know what's worse. Someone thinking that about me, or Mizuki getting her crush on me."

The larger karate club members all looked at one another. They answered at the same time: "**_Mizuki!_**"

"What? Did someone call me? Oh! My darling Tsubaki!" The shout had drawn Mizuki's attention. Unbeknownst to either her or the boy she dreamed of, she had been standing only a few yards away.

As Sousuke watched, Tsubaki headed into the heart of the teeming crowd. After loading their arms full of pastries, the trainees followed. Bringing up the rear was Mizuki.

"Mr. Sagara."

Sousuke had been distracted, watching the comic procession. When he turned, he was surprised to see who had spoken. It was his homeroom teacher, Eri Kagurazaka.

"Sousuke. You missed every one of your career counseling sessions. I know I may be a bit obsessive, and very compulsive, but let's do that now." The teacher looked very serious.

"Uhhh… teacher?" Sousuke was taken aback. Not simply by her words, but by the fact that she would have anything to do with him after he was no longer her responsibility. "I would have thought that…"

"My job would have ended once they graduated you?" She raised one eyebrow. "Or, I wouldn't want anything to do with you after the numerous nervous breakdowns you caused?" Part of her wanted to shout out 'Yea, he's finally gone!" But, she had come to realize that he was a well-meaning person with rather unique ways of showing it.

"Break downs? I do not recall you're being hospitalized." Sousuke tried to remember how many times the class had needed a substitute, and how long any replacement teacher lasted. "You _did _show proclivity for agitation and excited behavior, however."

"I was being facetious, Sousuke." Ms. Kagurazaka sounded a touch cross at hearing Sousuke's observation. Especially since he was the reason that she was often agitated or excited. "A boy showed up to school. There was a toy gun in his bag… or so I thought. I was knocked down the stairs by the same boy. Reports came in of girl's locker rooms being intruded upon, and of boys having their heads stuffed into toilets. It was just the beginning."

"Yes… I apologize… I did not fit in too well…" Sousuke found himself feeling nostalgic. That shocked him. He was usually not one for that kind of thinking.

"That's an understatement!" The teacher shuddered. "It wasn't all your fault, however."

Sousuke nodded his head. He remembered what Lt. Clouzot had said aboard the TDD-1. Sousuke had caused a lot of petty destruction and emotional stress; but, the most serious problems facing the Jindai High School students had come about because of Kaname. She had also been his partner in many tamer incidents, even though she routinely claimed to be the victim, while branding him the sole troublemaker.

"I remember…." The teacher's tea cup shook until she steadied her hand. "I remember being on an airliner. I was going to be shot. Kaname Chidori was taken from the plane." Sousuke nodded. "I thought…" Ms. Kagurazaka's eyes widened. Blinking rapidly, she looked Sousuke full in the face. "I just remembered something. It never meant anything before. Or, this might be the first time I realized it."

"Mam?" Sousuke stepped aside when a girl wanted to reach a tray of finger food.

"He didn't shoot me. He was distracted. A boy dropped his tray. It was you." The teacher stared at Sousuke. "You did it on purpose. It saved my life."

"Affirmative." Sousuke thought back to that moment. He had been very fortunate. Gauron had almost recognized him. If he had, things would have ended much differently. There might not be a graduating class this year.

"Thank you." Ms. Kagurazaka said. "The reason you weren't on the plane… you were off saving Kaname... weren't you?" She put her cup down. "Those men who rescued the rest of the students. Mr. Kazama didn't think they were from the U.N. Was it the group you work for?"

"Yes. You are correct. The enemy had not counted on a mercenary being in the class."

"_Nobody _was expecting a mercenary in the class!" Ms. Kagurazaka said. "The things you put me though! You and Miss Chidori! What a pair…"

Sousuke's face fell in a rather noticeable manner. He looked over in Kaname's direction again. The teacher followed his gaze.

"She's very good at being angry, isn't she?" Ms. Kagurazaka said. "That was one of the things that I counseled _her_ about."

Sousuke didn't answer.

"You really care a great deal about her, _don't_ you? She wasn't simply someone you were assigned to watch over. When you told the class who you really were, you promised to rescue her again." The teacher licked her lips. They felt very dry.

"I…" Sousuke nodded his head. There was no sense in denying the truth.

"And she cares deeply about you too, doesn't she?"

"That is open to conjecture." Sousuke ran his fingers over his scalp.

"Ahhh. Do you say that because she's leaving the country?" Ms. Kagurazaka tapped her finger nails against one cheek.

"No. She made a promise. It is important to keep one's word." Sousuke meant that, but the words somehow sounded hollow to him.

"Hmmm. Does it have something to do with the way she acted towards you once you brought her back?"

"I… yes…" Sousuke frowned. "However, she seemed more like her old self tonight. At least at first."

"I see. She's upset at you because of the… ummm… the items that those girls found on you."

Sousuke began to sweat. "You witnessed that…"

"Affirmative," Ms. Kagurazaka said with a grin. The word actually had a nice ring to it.

"Get away from me!" A girl walked between the two of them, putting her hands over her ears.

"What did I do?" A guy asked, following.

"Don't even follow me. Leave me alone!" The girl began walking faster.

"It's tough being a teenager," Ms. Kagurazaka said, watching the boy plead with the angry girl. "It amazes me how so many adults forget that." She looked at Sousuke. Things must be particularly tough for him. He never really had a childhood. And, just when he had begun to adapt to a life with his peers, his fellow teenagers would be scattered hither and yon. "Anyway, I can understand why Miss Chidori may be upset with you."

"But… I… the items were not meant for…" Sousuke began.

Ms. Kagurazaka put her hand up. "That's none of my business." She looked over at Kaname. "watching your little squabble, I noticed that one thing held true to form."

"Mam?"

"Kaname had a hand in causing her own trouble, right?" The teacher brushed off some crumbs that she noticed on her blouse.

"How… "

"She never likes to lose, right? So, when you made it impossible for her to run through your pockets in front of your classmates, she got them to do it for her. After that, she no doubt blamed you for everything." Ms. Kagurazaka's analysis was right on target. "She's a remarkable young woman. But, she needs to start taking more responsibility for her own actions."

"She is getting better…" Sousuke sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

"Really?" The teacher smiled. "Well, if she _is, _then she isn't the only one."

"Teacher?" Sousuke wondered if she was talking about him.

"When those boys showed up drunk and defiant, I was worried." Ms. Kagurazaka said. "But, no one was shot. Nothing blew up. We did not need the fire department or paramedics."

"There is still time for that," Sousuke said, uncomfortable with the subtle praise.

"What?" The teacher flinched. "Oh. You were joking. That's a change too, isn't it?" She changed gears abruptly, returning to her original subject. "So, have you thought about a career? College? A trade?"

"I have a number of options. However…" Sousuke sighed. He was glad that people were taking an interest in him. Some of their advice might even prove useful later. But, it was difficult talking about things he was still unclear about. Was he the only one in that situation? Or, were other graduates confused and uncertain too?

"Sousuke, everyone in the class wrote something down but you. They may not know what the really want to do, but they put down possibilities." Ms. Kagurazaka set her watch more comfortably on her wrist. "Are you going to return to what you were doing before? Is that what you plan on doing for the rest of your life?"

"I am not certain what I want," Sousuke admitted. "The only thing that I know… is that I do not know."

"Well, hang in their, Mr. Sagara. You're a survivor. I'm certain that you'll find what you want, if you take the time to think things through." There was a look of sympathy in Ms. Kagurazaka's eyes. "Oh. I almost forgot. The Principal gave me this. She thought you might like to see it." She rummaged inside her purse and took out a folded piece of paper. She handed it to Sousuke.

"This is?" He opened the paper. There was a number written there. A very large number.

"Principal Tsuboi went to the trouble of adding up the some total of damages you caused to the school." The teacher knew that she would never earn that much money at her salary. It was a staggering thought. "It doesn't include the cost of a new school. We can't blame you for that."

"I…" Sousuke realized that there really wasn't anything he could say to that. "I'm sorry."

"What's done is done. I know one thing for sure. I won't forget you and Miss Chidori." Ms. Kagurazaka actually gave Sousuke a hug. "Good Luck…"

The conversation at an end, Ms. Kagurazaka went over to join the art instructor, Mr. Mizuhoshi, Watching them, Sousuke thought about the time that he and Kaname had helped the two teachers realize their feelings for each other.

"I will do my best," Sousuke promised his teacher.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

"Hey! Kaname! Wait up…."

Looking somewhat breathless, Aki Sakuraba ran up. She was holding her yearbook.

"Aki?" Kaname asked. The girl had not been a close friend, but was another one of Jindai High shool's top students.

"Would you sign my book?" Aki opened her purse, looking for a pen.

"Here. I have one. You can do my book, too." Kaname and Aki exchanged books.

"Sure."

The small dark-hired girl was much more animated than she had ever been in class. She acted as if a tremendous burden had been lifted off of her shoulders. Kaname felt envious. For so many students, driven by their parents or own pride to make it into one of the top schools… or any school, for that matter… this was a time of relief and exultation. In contrast, each passing day seemed to weigh heavier and heavier on her.

"I just want to say that if it hadn't been for Kaname Chidori, I probably wouldn't have gotten Tokyo University." Aki looked up and grinned, before turning her attention back to what she was writing.

"Huh?" Kaname said. "It was the competition. You made me study twice as hard. So thanks." Aki handed the pen over to Kaname.

"Oh. Sure. Well, to be truthful, I guess that you did the same for me." Kaname began writing her note in Aki's book. She grimaced, making an errant pen mark, when she heard the girl's next words.

"Did you really come here with Sousuke Sagara? I would have thought that you had gotten your fill of him. At school… and during all that…." Aki's voice ran down when she realized what she was saying. She realized that certain subjects must be uncomfortable for Kaname.

"He's the last person I want to think about right now," Kaname said, her face clouding over. "The jerk."

"Oh. I heard about… well, you know…" Aki rubbed her fingers together. She was a rather shy girl, but one who would have been happy to have had the attention that Kaname did. "I guess boys really do have only one thing on their mind…"

"What minds?" Kaname groused. "They forgot to issue Sousuke one when he lined up for his guns and uniform." Her emotions surged. She was very upset with a certain clueless sergeant. It might well have been another innocent Sousuke mistake. But, that by itself was bad enough. When was he going to stop having innocent Sousuke mistakes?

"I kind of got the impression that you two were really close. Well, maybe not _that_ close… I mean…" She bit her lip. "I guess it's really none of my business."

"That's right!" Kaname said, with more heat than necessary. Nothing was Aki's fault. She knew just who to blame. Her frustration surged when she thought about her attempts to get Sousuke to notice her the way that normal guys notice girls. It had been like flirting with a stump. So, of course, he skips over all that and brings a box of condoms on their first date. The inconsiderate idiot! How could he have let so many people see him with it? "I'm sorry. It's just that he makes me so mad. He is such a loser…"

"I think you're wrong." Maya walked up.

"What?" Kaname frowned, watching Maya hand her yearbook to Aki.

"Is that really how you feel about Sousuke?" Maya looked Kaname in the eyes. "Tonight he…" Maya stopped.

Kaname turned to see what her friend had been looking at. It was Takashi. Mitsune was with him. When the girl went over to chat with a group of his friends, Takashi began walking in Maya's direction.

"Hey, Maya!" Takashi shouted. He smiled, thinking about cozying up to Maya while Mitsune was busy. His smile vanished when a hand gripped his shoulder.

"You have caused her enough pain," Sousuke said.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Takashi moved Sousuke's hand off of him.

"You have taken advantage of her. You deceived her, making her think that you cared about her." Sousuke looked over at Maya. She looked upset, but managed to meet his gaze.

"So? Who _hasn't _done that?" Takashi shrugged. "What business is it of yours?" He laughed. "You're the last one to talk about tricking people."

"I had good reasons," Sousuke answered, defensively.

"So did I." Takashi laughed. "What guy doesn't?" He looked over at Maya, as if he expected her to come running to him. "Are you interested in her? Is that it? Rumor was that you and Kaname Chidori were an item."

"I…" Sousuke felt off balance.

Takashi looked over at Kaname. "She dump you?"

"That…" Sousuke didn't have an answer.

"Well, if she has, you should consider yourself lucky." Takashi waved his hand like he was some kind of prince, and then strode off, heading for the bar.

Sousuke stood watching Kaname for a moment, and then walked away. The look that Maya gave Kaname spoke volumes.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Yes… I'm sorry, Daddy…."

Kaname held one hand over her ear, trying t hear what her father was saying on the phone.

"No… it's nothing that he has done…" Kaname swallowed hard. "He's behaved very well… I'm calling because I…" She bowed her head. "I just… I thought it was right to call you, letting you know how I was…" Kaname had to speak louder to be heard. "You don't have to be grateful that I called, Daddy… I acted irresponsibly…OK, I will… I'll be home before dawn…"

After hanging up the phone, Kaname walked over to two girls who had been watching her. "Would you guys sign my yearbook?"

"Sure," one of the girls answered. "Would you sign mine?"

"Alright." As she wrote, Kaname realized that her wrist ached from all of the writing she had done that evening.

"Did you really call your dad?" The second girl asked.

"Yes," Kaname said.

"Wow! What a nightmare," the first girl said, dotting the final 'i' in her name.

"It wasn't bad…" Kaname replied. "It just felt like something I had to do."

"Is he going to wait up?" The one girl said, handing back the yearbook.

"Tell him nothing!" The other girl said.

"I make sure I enter the house crying," a different girl said, walking up. "He leaves me alone when I do that.

"I loved your speech," a boy said, joining the growing group. Kaname was happy to see the topic change.

"I really liked the part where you said you were scared…." One of the girls said.

"Thanks." Kaname found it hard to listen attentively after that. She was scared. Scared of what her father might think of her. Scared about telling him she was Whispered. Scared about the danger that she brought to people around her. The party had been a buffer to all that. But, she felt partied-out.

Kaname excused herself after her yearbook had made the rounds.

She wanted to find Sousuke.


	6. six

"Hey, man! It's a black key. Mitsubishi…"

Sousuke picked up his bag. He would look for the key in a moment. It was not going to be as simple as that.

"In a moment. First, you must demonstrate sobriety." Sousuke had the boy walk a straight line… remember a string of numbers… and perform a number of movements testing cerebellar function. "Adequate. You must now run a mile. I will time you. The girl may wait here for you, unless she feels like running too"

"**W-H-A-T?**" The boy looked at Sousuke incredulously.

"I was joking," Sousuke said.

"You?" The boy asked, doing a double-take. "_You_ were joking?"

"Yes," Sousuke said, reaching into the bag. He fished out a set of Mitsubishi keys.

"Well all right!" The guy slapped Sousuke on the back. "Later, guy!"

"I've been looking for you." That was Takashi. He approached Maya, who was sitting with Ryo and Mizuki.

"Hi, Takashi. How are you." Maya looked either drunk or very tired. If anything, Ryo looked even worse.

"I… I love you…"

"I love you too, girl." Takashi claimed.

"Even after what you did…" Maya swallowed hard. "After all that, I…" She clenched her fists. She nodded when Mizuki and Ryo whispered something that Sousuke couldn't hear.

"I want to get back together," Takashi said. "Mitsune's going to college. In Osaka. I'm going to be alone, but I'm going to break up with her before she leaves." He made it sound like it was no big deal. The two hugged. Takashi ran his hands down along Maya's back. "Have sex with me."

"No," Maya said, looking over at Sousuke. "Goodbye, Takashi."

"But…" Takashi looked stunned.

"Good bye." Maya looked away. Ryo and Mizuki both nodded and congratulated their friend.

"Hey, Sousuke." Kaname walked up, a strange look on her face. "I've been looking for you." She saw Maya and the others looking at her and felt a bit flustered. "You're a hard guy to find, do you know that?"

"I apologize, Kaname. You…" Sousuke was interrupted.

"**YO!** Keeper of the keys! My best bud." A boy walked up, another guy and two girls in tow. "Toyota. Keychain has a stuffed soccer ball on it." After the boy passed Sousuke's tests, he took his keys and left.

The next person in a growing crowd around Sousuke stepped up. "Sousuke, I wanted to say…" Kaname couldn't get her word in.

"Alright, Sagara! It was a great party, wasn't it?" A boy walked up with another boy. Both looked wobbly. "We could have used some explosions, though. We're all going to miss that."

"Damn straight," the other boy said laughing, before tripping over his own feet.

"Acura keys. Painted in blue metal flake. Should be real easy to find, man." The boy held his hand out, breaking into laughter when he saw his friend on the floor.

"There are tests," Sousuke said.

"Yeh man. Sure. Good one. We all had enough tests at school." He stumbled and fell, trying to get his friend back up."

"Sorry. You will not get your keys. You are drunk." Sousuke reached into the bag and handed a girl her keys. She had no trouble with his challenges.

"I'm not drunk," the boy claimed. "I just had too much to drink!"

Sousuke wouldn't give in. Not for that boy, or any of his other classmates who were not fit to drive safely. He even sent one teacher to a nearby coffee pot and couch. Irrationally, he had feared an insurrection, or a number of uncomfortable scenes. Instead, he was gratified to see that the party-goers generally respected him for his actions.

"You're alright, Sagara." One tipsy guy put his arm around Sousuke's neck and gave him a fake kiss to the cheek. "Despite what Chidori says."

"It's true. You're such a good person, Sousuke." Maya walked over and stood next to Kaname, who was still trying to get a word in edgewise.

"You are holding up well, or so it seemed." Sousuke said.

"Yes. And, remember, things can always get better." Maya looked over at Kaname.

"**_What?_**" Kaname asked, sounding a bit snappish. Maya just grinned infuriatingly.

"You were saying?" Sousuke said to Kaname, handing out another set of keys.

"I wanted…." Kaname was cut off again.

"They're right, dude!" Ono staggered up. "You are truly a great man!" he smiled, his eyes red. "Me, I'm just a good man." He looked over at Kaname. "And Kaname…"

"Yes?" The tone of Kaname's voice came close to sobering Ono up.

"Ummm… well… you're not a man!" Ono said quickly, stumbling upon a safe answer.

Eventually, Sousuke ran out of keys. At that point, he handed the sack to Ono. "I hereby relinquish my duties as Sergeant at Arms and Keeper of the Keys."

"Thanks, man." Ono shook Sousuke's hand. "And I meant what I said earlier. I'm sorry, you know?" He scratched his head. "I wish we all knew how good a guy you were, before we graduated."

"Opportunities are lost," Sousuke said. "It is an inevitable part of life." He looked over at Kaname. Looking back at Ono he added "Things could have been a lot worse."

When Ono went off to finish saying good bye to his guests, Kaname pulled Sousuke aside to talk with him. "Finally…" She said, tossing her hair.

"Ka-na-_maaaay_…" It was Kyouko. Maya, Mizuki, and Shinji were with her.

"Hey, Ky…" Kaname said.

"Kaname, Ryo is passed out on the couch. I don't think she'll be able to walk home with us." Kyouko pointed. Sure enough, Ryo was sprawling on one of the extra couches brought into the lobby.

"I can drive her home now," Kaname said, sounding resigned.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

"I gotta get home."

Ryo's voice came from the back seat of Kaname's car.

"Gotta get home… _gotta get home_… gotta get home… _gotta get home_…" Ryo made her words into a little sing song.

"How you doing back there, Ryo?" Kaname asked.

"Where are we?" Ryo asked. "I really don't know where I am."

"You are in Kaname's car," Sousuke answered. "We are taking you home."

"To whose house? Kaname's?" Ryo tried to sit up.

"_Sheeesh_, girl. Why did you drink so much?" Kaname asked.

"It was a party. We graduated. Time to celebrate, right?" She paused. "Oh. Sousuke's here too."

"Affirmative," Sousuke confirmed.

"Oh. I'm sorry. No I'm drunk." Ryo managed to sit up, looking over at the back of Sousuke's head. "But I'm sorry too."

"It's not a problem, Ryo. What are friends for?" Kaname replied amiably. "It gives me a another chance to drive around a bit."

"I didn't mean _that_, Kaname. I meant Sousuke. Did you two want to make out or something?"

The brakes slammed on. A horn sounded. Kaname almost ran through a red light. "**_NO! _**I mean, of course not!"

"Green light, Kaname" Sousuke observed.

"I know that, Sousuke!" She stepped down on the accelerator.

"He's giving you the green light, Kaname." Ryo chuckled. "Sousuke, isn't that the girl's job?"

"Uhhh…"

"I really think it is," Ryo said, falling back against the rear seat.

"**WE WEREN"T GOING TO MAKE OUT OR ANYTHING!"**

Kaname's shout had Ryo putting her fingers in her ears. "He _did_ have those condoms, you know." She laughed. "Sousuke Sagara with condoms. That's kind of funny, isn't it?"

"A friend was annoying me, trying to force me to carry them. It was simpler just to agree." Sousuke was trying to explain things to Ryo and Kaname at the same time, but for different reasons.

"Well, he's probably right you know. If you and Kaname are going to _do_ it, it would be stupid if you didn't have condoms." Ryo nodded her head, pleased with her sage advice.

"**WE**…… **AREN'T**…… **DOING**…… **THAT**…"

This time, Kaname almost ran into the back of a truck stopped in front of an all-night store.

"That's what most people thought at the party," The drunken girl said. "Especially after the way you were talking about him." She rubbed at her temples, realizing that her head was throbbing. "He must have them for someone else."

"**_Look out!_**" Sousuke shouted. A woman was crossing the street with her dog. He reached his leg over and stomped on the brake.

"I… sorry… thank you, Sousuke…" Kaname sounded upset. She drove much more carefully after that.

"I was telling the truth about Kurz," Sousuke said.

"Is that who the condoms were for? Sousuke is doing it with someone named Kurz?" Ryo moaned, suddenly feeling somewhat queasy. "He really _was _jealous over Tsubaki Issei?"

"**NO!"** Both Sousuke and Kaname answered, just as she pulled the care over to the curb in front of Ryo's home.

Ryo staggered to the door, declining Sousuke's offer of assiatance.

"Have a good sleep." Kaname watched as her friend managed to walk to her door. The lights inside the house came on.

"Good bye," Sousuke said.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

"I apologize."

Sousuke and Kaname sat in her car, about a block from the apartment she shared with her father and Ayame.

"What for, Sousuke? I was the one who behaved wrong. You're always apologizing when it's my fault." Kaname cracked open one of the windows. Things were beginning to fog up.

"That is true. Ms. Kagurazaka told me that you need to begin taking responsibility for your actions." Sousuke should have been quiet. He had a lot to learn.

"Oh she _did, _did she?" Kaname's temper raised its ugly head again. "The two of you were talking about me behind my back?"

"Uhhh… negative… not really." Sousuke said. "Why are you getting angry at me, if things are your fault?"

"It's not my fault that the two of you were talking about me and my responsibility!" Kaname set her jaw.

Sousuke sat quietly for a moment. He thought that he understood what was going on. "It is not my fault that you are leaving Tokyo, Kaname."

"Huh? What does _that _have to do with anything, you big stupid head?" Kaname laced her fingers together. She knew that Sousuke was right.

"Our teacher was not the only person who spoke about you tonight. Some were unhappy with the way that you treated me. A number had observations that explained your behavior in school." Sousuke paused, waiting to see how Kaname might respond. She sat quietly, by a strong effort of will. Light filled the passenger compartment, as a large road crew vehicle passed by, rumbling on its way to who knows where.

"What did they talk about, Sousuke?" Kaname's voice was very quiet.

"Pride. Fear. Disappointment. Sadness." Sousuke looked over at Kaname. "Caring."

"Oh." Kaname used her sleeve to wipe moisture off of her window.

"Will you be in trouble when you get home, Kaname? Should I accompany you inside, to vouch for things that your father will want to hear?" Sousuke yawned. He couldn't help himself. The sun was coming up and he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before.

"I don't know," Kaname admitted. "But it's OK if I am. I didn't really behave my best, did I?" She sighed. "I guess he needs to learn all of my bad parts too, huh?"

"Kaname, you do not have any…" Sousuke started to protest.

"Yes I do, you big kind-hearted idiot." Kaname smiled. "That was a wonderful thing you did with Maya tonight, by the way. I never would have expected that. I guess I can't even see what's under my nose, huh?" Kaname wiped away tears. Those words suddenly sounded so final to her.

"Your mouth?" Sousuke asked, feeling uncomfortable with Kaname's sadness. He had difficult enough dealing with his own pain.

"Moron." Kaname managed a smile. "But, it's true. And it's true about my father. Daddy…" Kaname sighed. "He's so happy that I'm going back to America with him. He's worked so hard for us. All he has is Ayame."

Sousuke knew that Kaname's mother had died a number of years earlier. That had been common knowledge at the school, and was on her Mithril dosier. But, Kaname had never gone into much detail with anyone before, not the school counselors, and not with any of her friends. Sitting there in the car, she shared her memories with him.

"You are fortunate to have family, Kaname. You are very lucky, having solid memories of them. Sousuke said that, after telling Kaname details about his past that she hadn't known.

"Yes, I love them very much." Kaname looked at Sousuke. Part of her wanted to go even further. There was someone else that she loved. But, for whatever reason, she couldn't bring herself to tell Sousuke that. "Oh… hey… your yearbook."

"Kaname?" Sousuke looked down at his book.

"What did everyone write to Sousuke Sagara?" Kaname picked up her book.

"I will see." Sousuke opened the book. "_'Do not worry about how Chidori treats you. She is a loser'_. It would not be smart to agree with that. _'Kaname is wrong about you. What does she know? Everything is her fault'_. That one is not entirely true. _'Kaname Chidori is…'_"

"Give me that, Sousuke!" Kaname grabbed Sousuke's book. "Big liar!" She began leafing through the pages. "OK. Let me see. _'Glad we got to see what you're really like'_. Written by an idiot. _'Wish I could have known you more'_. Written by a moron, obviuously. _'If Kaname dumps you, my number is…' _**Sousuke!" **

"Uhhh…"

"Why did you let a girl kiss your book? With lipstick on!" Kaname shook the book at him.

"What was she supposed to kiss, Kaname?" Sousuke kept a straight face.

"**_SOUSUKE SAGARA!_**"

Kaname smiled. It was wonderful seeing Sousuke joke like that. For a moment, her emotions surged. She was tempted to lean over and kiss him.

"Should I have Mithril run a background check based on that phone number?" Sousuke ran a hand through his hair. "It might not be prudent to call it otherwise."

"A lot of things aren't prudent, Sousuke." Kaname said. "A certain sergeant would be very wise to keep that in mind. _Hmmmpppfff!" _

After reading more of Sousuuke's messages out loud, Kaname had Sousuke read some of hers. All in all, everyone had been kind or complimentary. "I was afraid that I didn't fit in any more," she said when he was finished.

"Kaname?" Sousuke knew what she meant. But, it was obviously doing her good to talk.

"They all treated me great, Sousuke." Kaname had tears in her eyes again. "I'm really glad I came tonight." She sighed. "I wish I could have been a better date."

"Yes. Me too." Sousuke nodded.

"'_You too' _what?" Kaname narrowed her eyes. "You wish you had been a better date. Or you wish _I _had been a better date?"

"Affirmative." Sousuke gave no further clarification.

"**Sousuke!**" Kaname reached over to hug him. Once again, she came very close to kissing him. She felt his muscles tighten when her hand lay on his arm. She would have given anything to know what he was thinking. "What are you, ummm…" Her throat tightened up. A question came to mind. She had always been worried about how much time she had left. There was a flipside to that.

"Kaname?"

"What are you going to be doing this summer? Now that school is over, and…" Kaname found herself gripping her book tightly. Would it be better for her to spend as much time with Sousuke as possible, or to hope that he had to return to Da Danaan as soon as possible. For a moment, she froze. She pictured Tessa waiting for him when he returned.

"I have a new mission," Sousuke said.

"Oh…" Kaname felt her heart sink.

"Yes. I think I would like to be a great date this summer." Sousuke surprised himself, saying that.

"I'm serious, Sousuke." Kaname bit at her hair.

"So am I, Kaname. I want to see you as much as I can before you leave."

"But, it's only ten more weeks. Maybe that's not fair to you…." Kaname stopped. "Take responsibility, huh? It might be harder for me if we…" She felt her throat tighten again.

"I understand," Sousuke said. "But, I do not wish to worry about the future. I think that I would like to make the most of the ten weeks as I can. I will deal with the future after that." Sousuke was a veteran of that kind of thinking. He never knew when his death might come. He opened his yearbook. "I have this telephone number…"

"**_Jerk!_**" Kaname sat snuggled up against him until she looked at her watch. It was much later than she thought. D'oh! She didn't need a watch to tell her that. The sun was coming up. She started the car up again. She couldn't avoid the inevitable.

Sooner or later, she had to go home.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Morning, Daddy."

Kaname yawned. She had just gotten up and was still in her pajamas. That was unusual. Her mouth was dry, and she found herself needing to drink a glass of juice or something.

"For a little while longer," Shunya said. "I made breakfast. I'm afraid it's cold now." He looked over at the clock. It was close to noon. "It's a good thing that you're not working today."

"Yes." Kaname was awake enough now to start feeling Guilty. Guilty and scared. "About last night… I…" She reached for a slice of apple.

"Well, as you might have noticed, your sister isn't here." Shunya said, in a conversational tone. But, his point was clear enough. He wanted time alone with Kaname. "Your uncle and his family came by. She'll be spending the day with them."

"Oh…." Kaname stopped in mid chew, her cheek puffed out with fruit. After chewing and swallowing, she said "Good."

"I have English tea on. So, while you're getting your wits about you, we can talk at the table as you eat." Shunya picked up a dish of rice and a bowl of miso soup, intent on re-warming them. "Later, I will take you out to lunch if you like, or we can visit the park you liked when you were a child. It is a good place to go for a walk."

"OK." Kaname began reaching for a bowl of Udon noodles, but stopped. She really wasn't all that hungry yet.

"I have more natto, if you would like some of that." Shunya busied himself at the stove. Even after years in America, he wasn't a big fan of microwaves. "I seem to have lost my taste for it. Oddly enough, Ayame loves it." Most children raised in the States might be less than enthusiastic about fermented soybeans.

"No thank you, Daddy." Kaname felt a need to speak, but didn't know where to start. There were so many things on her mind. There were so many things that her father might want to ask. There were so many things that he needed to know.

"So, how was Sousuke?" Shunya sounded nonchalant. Kaname knew better. She was his eldest daughter, and had never been involved with boys around him. "You know, there was a lot I would have liked to ask him, before your rather abrupt departure."

"Sousuke was a gentleman, Daddy." Kaname took a sip of juice. "He was funny at times, nervous at others. He was very responsible, given the job of Key Keeper. He was also very kind." She gave a brief recounting of Sousuke's talk with Maya. "But I kind of blew it. I got angry at him for something that was my fault. It was really stupid."

Shunya didn't push for details. He sat and listened attentively, content to have Kaname say whatever came to mind.

"So, I really didn't spend as much time with him as I wanted. But, I am so glad that he convinced me to go to the party. I had been so worried. Everyone was so nice, even people I never really got to know very well." Kaname looked over at the rice. She was a little hungrier now, but not hungry enough.

"I'm glad things went smoothly. It's also good to see that you enjoyed talking with people you didn't know very well." Shunya's inference there was easy enough for Kaname to catch, even though her head still felt as if it were stuffed with wool. She would have a grand opportunity to meet new people at Cornell. "I'm even happier to here that you had no trouble with Sousuke."

"I didn't say 'no trouble', Daddy. It was just less trouble than we… usually…… have…" Kaname stopped reaching for the rice. Oooops. No, maybe not 'Oooops'. The topic would come up anyway.

Shunya pushed his glasses up his nose further. He tapped his fingers on the table top. "I think that we should talk about _that_ now." His voice was as smooth as silk, but his eyes gave him away. He was a man who hated the unknown and the uncertain. "What _is_ your history with the young man?"

"Yes, Daddy. There is something I have dreaded telling you." Kaname lowered her fork. She used it to push rice around on her plate.

"You're not pregnant, are you?" Shunya closed his eyes after saying that. It had just come out. His lack of control was inexcusable.

"**DADDY!**" Kaname dropped her fork. "What do you think about me? I have never…." Kaname forced herself to slow down. "No Daddy. I'm not pregnant."

"Sorry. I guess that must be every father's fear." Shunya stood up and went to get the tea. "This is Taylors of Harrogate. I hope you like it. It's a favorite of mine."

Kaname grinned, even though she felt very nervous. Her father and his English tea! The handle of the cup had to point to the right. The teaspoon had to be tucked under the handle. Cold cups had to be warmed before using. Only freshly drawn water was sufficient, since pre-boiled water gives a lifeless cup of tea.

"I'm sorry if this will upset you, Daddy." Kaname said, somehow feeling guilty about things that were beyond her control. That had her smirking. She worried about things that weren't her fault, but blamed Sousuke for things that _were_ her fault. That's OK. He's tough. He can take it.

"I'll be fine, Kaname." Shunya warmed his teapot with a splash of hot water.

"Daddy." Kaname shook her head. "You didn't put the milk jug out. There is no bowl of sugar cubes. I don't see any lemon slices. That's not like you."

"That's why you got into Cornell," Shunya said. "Really. I'll be fine. Not knowing the truth won't make it go away. Go ahead with what you were about to say."

"OK. I guess I should start at the beginning." Kaname yawned. "Things were fine at school. I was doing well in sports and academics, and took on responsibilities for my class. I was making friends, and didn't have the trouble I had in Junior High. One day, while I was outside talking with my friend, a new boy was stopped by the teacher…." Kaname went on to describe her first impression of Sousuke, saying that as far as he was concerned, he was some kind of otaku nut with a military fetish. She described any number of situations he caused, and how he had followed her around against her will.

"Panties?" Shunya aksed, his voice flat.

"He wasn't the thief, Daddy. He was there to stop the thief." She sighed. "Of course, seeing him there, I clobbered him with my softball bat."

"Yours is an interesting relationship, I see." Shunya made a steeple with his fingers. "I'm surprised you didn't throw a ball or base at him too."

"That was later, Daddy." Kaname blushed. She didn't want to sound like a raving maniac or something.

"Oh?"

"Well. I didn't know about his secret. I made a lot of food for dinner, since we were studying together. But, he missed the session, and didn't even call." Her hand flexed. "I had no idea that he was away on a mission." She swallowed hard. "That was just before my second kidnapping."

"You were abducted more than once?" Shunya's face went blank. It seemed that there was a great deal that he hadn't heard about.

"Yes, well…" Kaname chewed on her hair, but stopped. "That time I was kidnapped by the terrorist group A21, because I kind of got myself involved in the situation. The first time had been by a maniac working for some group I never learned about. The third time, aboard a cruise ship, was because of Amalgam. The last time… the one that… ummm… was related to the fighting in Tokyo…" Kaname gripped the edge of the table. "That was Amalgam too." Shunya sat unspeaking. It looked as if he couldn't immediately take in everything he was hearing.

"Kaname, I have to ask you something. You are not taking drugs, are you?" Shunya was very serious. "At the party last night…."

"**D-A-D-D-Y!** I am_ not_ pregnant, and I do _not_ take drugs." Kaname's eyes flashed.

"But… what you just said… it sounds." Shunya straightened his shoulders, took a deep breath, and allowed his racing thoughts to cross the finish line. "It sounds like science fiction. Bad science fiction."

"It gets worse in a way, Daddy." Kaname knew that be hard to believe. "I should get back to my story. The most important part is coming up." Kaname felt surprising relaxed. Now that she had got the ball rolling, she felt excited. She could finally share this with her father.

"It can get worse?" Shunya stared down at his tea. "You were on the cruise ship that was shown on the news in America. You were somehow involved with that huge red machine that moved through the city. And the recent devastation…." He looked at his daughter. "That first kidnapping. The one on the trip to Okinawa. It was every father's nightmare. No one should live through that more than once."

"It wasn't easy for me either, Daddy." Kaname said, tossing her hair. "Any way. Back to the panties." She turned her nose up. "I was really upset with Sousuke after that. I had finally started feeling at ease around him, and then that. I was glad that I had already assigned him garbage detail on the class trip."

"I see," Shunya could only imagine the relationship dynamics. He wasn't certain whether he should have sympathy for his daughter, or for Sousuke.

"Somebody needed to do it, Daddy!" Kaname's guilt made a brief appearance. _"Sheeesh._ Can I get on with my story?"

"Please."

"I made it a point to ignore him best I could at the airport. In flight, things began to get strange. We noticed that we were flying over a lot of land, when there should have been ocean. When we landed, the terrorists told us they had taken over the plane." Kaname looked down at her plate. "They said they needed someone to take off the plane. They chose me. But it wasn't because I was photogenic or something."

"Why then?"

"They brought me to a portable laboratory. I was hooked up to some kind of equipment. They would have given me drugs and experimented on me if Sousuke hadn't shown up." She managed a smile. "I still though he was an otaku idiot, when he started shooting the guards. I even yelled at him to stop playing around when he climbed up on an Arm Slave."

Shunya sat quietly. He thought that the story would make a good book or movie. Possibly anime. But, he had a hard time believing that such a thing had actually happened to his daughter. It was denial, not disbelief. He had no doubt that Kaname was telling the truth.

"If the bad guys had kept me, I never would have been seen again." Kaname looked her father in the eyes. "I have something that people want, Daddy. I'm Whispered."

"Whispered?"

"Yes. When Sousuke needed to know how to work the Lambda Driver… a special device that few people in the world can make work well… I helped him." Kaname took a sip of tea. "I had knowledge about the Lambda Driver in my head. I kind of went into a trance and got him through things. But, I didn't remember doing it when I was done."

"How could you know something like that?" Shunya looked apprehensive. "Did somebody do something while you were living alone? Maybe I never should have…"

"It's something I was born with, Daddy. No body knows for sure how it happens. But, the Whispered contain secrets about Black Technology. That's how things like the Arm Slaves and other special machines are built. The Black Technology is far beyond normal science."

"And very few people have access to it? Others know about it and want to acquire it?" The full impact was beginning to settle on Shunya.

Kaname nodded. She looked over at her father. For a moment, she felt like a little kid again, wishing he could make things all better.

"Sousuke's people knew about it. That's why they sent him to your school. To keep others from taking you away." Shunya looked down at his tea. He couldn't blame it for the bad taste in his mouth.

"Yes." Kaname looked on the verge of tears. Everything she had gone through was coming back to her now. How could she feel better one moment, and then worse the next? "I used to get so angry at Sousuke. I actually got pretty violent with him because he was so bad at fitting in. Guns in school. Grenades in the class. Thinking that everything could be a bomb or enemy trick. It was driving me crazy!" She almost mentioned Tessa and the towel. The beach and bikini too.

"But he's the one who's kept you alive." Shunya clasped his hands together. "Is he the one that keeps bringing you back?"

"Yes. Or as he would say, affirmative." Kaname felt the tears run down her face. They were for Sousuke, and the fact that he might be taken from her life. "He rescued me in Khanka. He and Arbalest… the Arm Slave I helped him with… they fought against Behemoth… that giant red machine… after he and his teammate Kurz freed me from captivity. Sousuke, Kurz, their other teammate Melissa, and a number of other soldiers rescued me aboard the _Pacific Christmas, _where they pretended to be terrorists. When Sousuke fought the battle in Tokyo and lost… he was the one in the white Arm Slave… I let myself be taken away, so he would be spared. He came and brought me back again."

Shunya didn't know what to say.

"I was the one who tracked the big jerk down in Hong Kong, though. He thought I was dead, so he just stood around doing nothing until I beat… until I talked sense in him. And, I brought him back to the school." Kaname looked out of the window. She hadn't heard from Wraith after her identity had been revealed. Was someone else taking the Intelligence operative's place? Would their be an equivalent shadow in New York City?

"You went to Hong Kong?" Shunya raised an eyebrow.

"Ummm… yes… well you see… if Sousuke didn't get back in time for his test… he would have failed." Kaname felt like a babbling idiot. She knew that her father would see through to the truth.

"Was this during the civil uprising that took place? The one in which China was on the verge of becoming North and South states?" Shunya's voice climbed. It was one thing if his daughter was a victim. It was another thing entirely if she was putting herself in dangerous situations.

"Yes… that's why Mithril was over there… so…" Kaname knew she had been busted. Sousuke wasn't the only one who should write things down before he spoke. Shunya turned his tea spoon over in his hand, again and again.

"You really care a lot about Sousuke, don't you?" His eyes looked worried. "We've been through a lot together… and I spent so much time trying to help him with school… and we've saved each other's lives…" It all came out in a rush, as if Kaname was in a hurry to justify her relationship with Sousuke. It was time to simply tell the truth. "Yes, Daddy. I care very much about him."

"Are you in love with him?" Shunya looked over at a picture of Kaname's mother. He wished that she was there to help him with all this.

"I've never said anything like that to him…" Again, the hurried speech. "Yes, Daddy. I am."

"I see." He coughed. "And him?"

"He's never put things into words, Daddy. But I think he cares a lot too."

"But you're not sure…." Shunya took of his glasses and cleaned them with a small cloth he kept in his pocket.

"I… well…" Kaname clenched her fists. "He doesn't behave like normal boys. If I judged him that way, I might say 'no'. But, if I look how he's changed, and at the way he treats me…"

"I understand. You've been through a lot, and he's been there by your side." Shunya put his glasses back on.

"He has."

"It seems that we have a lot to talk about." Shunya felt deceptively calm.

"Yes, Daddy."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"You're doomed, man."

Kurz' voice came through the console loud and clear. He and Melissa had returned to Da Danaan.

"I do not see why it is a problem. Kaname assures me that it will not be an interrogation. There will be guests other than myself." Sousuke was breaking down and reassembling the PP2000, familiarizing himself with the weapon's idiosyncrasies.

"Your second date has been made into a family audition, whatever someone might say. You're doomed. Big time." Kurz sounded amused.

"I still do not see the reason for such an assessment. If Kaname were concerned, she would let me know." Sousuke began to feel edgy. He scowled. Putting things back together, he left out one piece. That hadn't happened before.

"Move out of the way." That was Melissa's voice. "I hate to agree with Weber. But a family dinner… as a second date… it's the kiss of death."

"Why?" Sousuke spoke in a demanding tone. He thought that his friends might be joking. But, if there was something he truly needed to be cognizant of, it was best to be prepared. "I already know Kaname. It is not as if this is the second time that I am meeting someone."

"That might be true," Melissa said. "But, you aren't like everyone else. Either is Kaname. If you screw up dinner somehow…"

"**WHAM!**" Kurz shouted. "_Shit! _That hurt, Sis."

"Then don't yell in my f-cking ear, asshole." Melissa groused. "Sousuke, you aren't good in social situations. You might feel like you are under a lot of pressure. Who _knows_ what you might say or do?"

"I'll be careful…" Sousuke said.

"You'll be dead!" Kurz quipped, knowing that Sousuke was a Star Wars fan. He couldn't help but catch a reference to the famous Cantina scene.

"Though, if something tragic does happen…" Melissa said laughing. "It could be in Kaname's best interest in the long run."

"What?" Sousuke couldn't keep up with the mental gymnastics. "How would tragedy be good?"

"You've got less than ten weeks together, the two of you. You want to savor every moment you can..." Kurz spoke in a melodious voice, as if he was doing a television commercial. All that was needed was violins. "But, in the end, the pain of separation will be much greater that way."

"Yeh. If you f-ck things up royally, and she never wants to see you again, you'd be doing Kaname a favor." Melissa said. The telltale sound of an opening beer can could be heard.

"If you want the same results, but want to have fun instead, I'll take you out to get a hooker. The flight will be worth it. Sydney has some of the world's best prostitutes. There are twenty-four pages advertising brothels and escort agencies in the Yellow Pages there and… _Owwwww. _Damn it..." Kurz yelped.

"Shut up, idiot!" Melissa said. "Seriously, Sousuke. You don't want to make a bad impression at dinner. Kaname may know you, but her father doesn't. If he tells Kaname to stop spending time with you, she would probably listen."

"That possibility has been considered. I was not planning on doing anything that should raise concern." Sousuke felt himself tense up. He had simply called to ask what a suitable dinner gift should be. Now, he was beginning to sweat some.

"Sousuke, when have you _ever_ planned to cause trouble?" Kurz chuckled. "Were all those screw ups at school by choice?"

"Uhhh…" Sousuke swallowed hard. "But, in school, I needed to be on alert. There was no way to be certain what might occur. It was safest to behave as if there could be terrorists around every corner." Why did it sound so ridiculous when he said it that way? "I will not be worried about terrorists at dinner."

"Why not?" Kurz asked. "Did Angel give you the name of the dinner guests, so that we could run a background check? For all you know, any one of them could be on Amalgam's payroll and…_Ouch! _Damn it Babe, if you do that again…."

"Don't listen to that dumb ass, Sousuke. I think its obvious that you don't have to worry if Shunya Kaname's old friends are terrorists." Melissa said.

"I saw no reason to…" Sousuke said.

"But, if the food is catered, you should make an attempt to eat a little something off of everyone's plate. Especially Kaname's. The same goes for the wine and booze. Open each bottle, and take a drink." Melissa sounded serious.

"Shit! Now who's messing with his head?" Kurz griped.

"It does not matter. I am not going to behavior in a paranoid fashion. My intention is to go as a guest, not as a soldier." Sousuke sounded confident again. "But, I will go with the same spirit I have going into combat. I will not be certain if something unexpected might happen, or whether I might live or die, but I will respond accordingly."

"_Sniff. Sniff. _Our boy is all grown up," Kurz said.

"Yeh. Right. I bet you two cases of beer that he brings up that 'I came to dinner like it was combat' thing while they eat." Melissa spoke with a deadpan delivery.

"**No bet!**" Kurz answered.

"Thanks." Sousuke said. "I truly appreciate your assistance."

"Hey, glad we could help!" Melissa said.

"What are friends for?" Kurz asked, before ending transmission.

"Shit," Sousuke said under his breath.


	7. seven

"Do you think I should wear this one?"

Kaname held up a nice summer dress. The colors did not match with the nice suit that Sousuke wore. She was well aware of the fact.

"Uhhh… it is not unpleasant… I think it is very… _ahhh_… colorful." Sousuke felt a bit uncomfortable, standing in Kaname's bedroom while Shunya and Ayame drove out to pick up an elderly couple that would be dining with them that evening. The other guests were close enough to walk or take a cab.

"Colorful. Great. That's what you said about the wrappings on those new MREs you bought." She threw it over her shoulder. Not by accident, it would have covered Sousuke's head had he not snagged it deftly from the air. "How about _this_ one?" She took a hanger out of the closet. The dress it bore was sedate but nicely cut.

"Hmmm… that one appears suitable." Sousuke fidgeted. He had been very nervous when Kaname invited him into her room. Now, he was wondering if she intended to get dressed in front of him.

"Suitable?" Kaname snorted. "Suitable. Is _that _all you have to say? Suitable?" That dress flew in a much higher arc, almost hitting the ceiling. Kaname slid a number of plastic wrapped dresses along the closet pole. "Oh. I haven't worn this one for a while. What do you think?"

"That one is nice, Kaname. I think it would look good on you." Sousuke knew that Kaname would throw that dress too. Whatever he liked, she would discard. Whatever he didn't gush over, she would throw his way. Most likely, she would wear the last dress left in the closet.

"_Geeez, _Sousuke? Nice? That's almost as bad as 'suitable'. Nice!" Kaname held the dress against her and looked in the mirror. It really _did _look very nice. She had a strong urge to wear it. But, she shook her head. For some reason, it just wouldn't do. She placed it back in the closet.

Sousuke relaxed his stance a bit. He placed both hands behind his back. But, he kept a wary eye on the closet. He was a Specialist. And, it never paid to assume anything with Kaname.

"Oh, might as well be consistent." Kaname grabbed the dress again and lofted it high above her head, hangar and all. Her aim was errant. It caught on the ceiling fan and flopped this way and that. "Sousuke! Why didn't you catch that?"

Sousuke sighed. He enjoyed spending time with Kaname, especially since he had not seen her since the party. But, this game was getting old. A rush of guilt had him standing straighter. If he only had so much time left with Kaname, shouldn't he enjoy every minute? Was he growing tired of her?

"Alright, mister. Prepare to be dazzled. Kaname Chidori, super model." Kaname held up one of her favorite dresses, one she had never found the right occasion for. "Pretty remarkable, right?"

Sousuke remained silent. He looked at his watch. How long before Kaname made some kind of huffy remark, or a plea for attention? _Tick tick tick tick tick…_

"Sousuke?" Kaname scowled.

The young soldier remained quiet. _Tick tick tick tick…_

"The dress, Sousuke. What do you think? You are capable of thinking, aren't you?" She put one hand on her hip.

"Eight seconds," Sousuke said out loud. That was for the huffy part. _Tick tick tick tick…_

"Huh? What kind of nonsense are you babbling?" Kaname frowned and then twitched. "Don't you want to help me look my best for dinner tonight?"

"Twelve seconds," Sousuke noted. That took care of the plea for attention.

"Fine. If you don't want me to find the clothes that make me look beautiful for you, why don't you just wait out on the street or something. Maybe you can find something suitable to blow up. Or something colorful to shoot." Kaname turned her back on Sousuke. She started counting in her head.

"You would be beautiful without those dresses, Kaname." Sousuke knew what Kaname wanted from him. He was also telling the truth.

"What? Without a dress? Are you saying that you would think I would be beautiful walking around without any clothes on?" Kaname knew exactly what Sousuke meant. But, this was her turn. He should have known better. Kaname Chidori is a Specialist in her own right.

"Uhhh… that is not…" Sousuke swallowed hard. Intellectually, he might be able to tell that Kaname was just playing. But, his usual propriety and naivity kicked in first.

"If my father were standing there and heard you say that!" Kaname tried hard not to smile. "_Sheeesh. _You better get that stuff out of your system before dinner!" She could tell what Sousuke was thinking. He was imagining some kind of catastrophic and embarrassing scene.

"I… but…" Sousuke finally brought himself under control. No doubt, Kaname thought that she had triumphed. It had been close. Very close. But, he had stopped his step just short of the precipice. "It is not a problem. If your father were present, I would simply inform him that I was speaking the truth, after having seen you naked at the hot springs." He had never told Kaname that he had been the one who prevented the others from successfully peeping.

"**WHAT!**"

Kaname dropped the dress she had been holding.

"Though, to be truthful, that was at night with vision equipment. The time with the clothes eating bacteria… incorrectly nicknamed the Full Monty Virus… your nakedness was much closer, and with better lighting." Susuke walked over to the window, acting nonchalant. It was fun to tease Kaname. Too bad he had not discovered that earlier.

"You… you… _you_…" Kaname should have known that Sousuke was joking. But, it didn't matter. If he was telling the truth, he was dead. If he had trumped her, he didn't deserve to live.

"You are a very attractive woman naked, Kaname." Sousuke set up for the coup de grace. Still, he found his hand trembling ever so slightly. It was hard for him to be so cavalier on that subject.

"I… you… ummm…… really?" Kaname was obviously being pulled in different directions. The woman in her was glad that Sousuke appreciated her body. The girl I her was glad for attention from a boy she cared about.

"Affirmative. No doubt, you would bring a high price on the Black Market." Sousuke kept a straight face. "_Especially_ in areas devastated by the recent tsunamis, or countries suffering periods of prolonged economic shortages. The competition in those areas would primarily consist of young girls."

"I… _see_…" Kaname refrained from her usually loud and derogatory commentary. Taking a few deep breaths, she came up with the perfect plan. So, Sousuke wanted to act like some kind of man of the world, did he? Fine. "Well then, since you are such a good judge of a woman's body, here's something you could help me with." She walked over to her dresser and opened the top drawer.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke began to sweat again. Heavily. Kaname had picked up a lacy bra. Soon, she was comparing it to another brassiere.

"Which of these do you think might look better?" Kaname asked. She felt a devilish sense of power at that moment. "Here, let me slip one on over my blouse. Tell me how you like it." This ought to be good! Smiling, Kaname slipped her frilliest bra on.

There was a knock at the door. "Kaname? Are you ready yet?" It was Shunya. He had gotten back sooner than Kaname had expected. Furthermore, she and Sousuke had been so distracted by their playful battle of wits, that note even the trained operative had heard them come into the apartment.

"Do you want me to open the door, Kaname?" Sousuke spoke quietly, with much more bravado than he really felt.

"Kaname? When do expect Sousuke? I want to ask him to keep his profession a secret tonight. If you see him before I do, will you do that for me?"

"Y-Yes… _Sure, _Daddy…" Kaname froze. She watched as Sousuke took a step back, stopped by the wall behind him.

After Shunya's footsteps receded, Kaname put her hand over her heart. Looking over at Sousuke, she nodded her head. "OK, Sousuke. Out the window."

"Kaname?"

"You have to come in through the front door, or Daddy will know you were in here." Kaname sounded like she was explaining things to an idiot or three year old.

"But… is that truly a problem? I am certain that he must know that you are a responsible young woman." Sousuke normally would have been more on edge over that topic. But, looking out the window, he found the subject less vexing.

"Hmmm. Maybe you're right." Kaname tossed her hair. She began to slide her blouse up in slow increments. "Do you mind waiting here while I get dressed?"

There was a sound of a sliding window. The street noise got louder, as a nice breeze came in through the opening.

When Kaname turned around, Sousuke was gone.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"It's from Fujimamas"

Shunya was speaking with Takeji Akashiya, accountant and childhood friend. His wife Makiko, a councillor at a health clinic, chatted with Kaname as she filled her plate from a catered buffet.

"Oh. This is quite the treat, then." Mineko Tetsuya, one of Shunya's high school teachers, made her way slowly towards the rented tables set up in the living room area.

"Yes. _Almost_ as nice as being helped by a pretty young lady." Mineko's husband Hideki, a retired chemist, shuffled along with help from Kaname.

"Did you get any chicken nuggets, Daddy?" Ayame pouted. The nice spread of Asian, Austrailain, Mediterranean, African, and Indian foods did not contain any pizza, fried chicken, tacos, or French fried. "Cheeseburgers?"

"Hmmm. Let me see. We have Smoked Salmon Rolled in Crepes with Green Onions and Sour Cream… Chicken and Wild Mushroom Roulades with Curry Mayonnaise… Chinese Dim Sum…" He walked along the cloth draped tables, pointed to metal bins heated by small flames. "…Vietnamese Vegetable Salad Rolls with Miso Sesame Sauce… Eggplant Sundried Tomatoes and Shiso Crostini…"

"I believe this must be their Tuna with Cucumbers, Maui Onions, Tomatoes and Soy Sauce Vinaigrette, and that must be the Seared Ahi with Shiso, Kaiware and Soy Mustard Cream." Makiko was a big fan of Fujimamas.

"_Oooh. _That's the Tandoori Lamb Chops with Mint Sauce…" Takeji recognized his wife's favorite. Looking for his own, he found it. "Shunya, thank you. Teppanyaki Cod with Teriyaki Sauce."

"Think nothing of it, old friend." Shunya smiled. He hadn't seen his friends for a number of years.

"**Great!**" Ayame turned her nose up sarcastically. "I guess I'll just make a plate with Cookies, Chocolate Eclairs, and these fruit tart things." She reached for the dessert tray.

"Ayame. You will mind your manners, especially in front of company." Shunya looked at his youngest daughter. His face was stern. "This dinner is in honor of your sister's graduation. If you wish to act childish, you may do so in your room."

"I believe that your father is correct, Ayame." Sousuke picked up a plate. "Sometimes one must make sacrifices for the benefit of others. I have eaten many foods over the years that might not suit my taste. One does what one must."

"That's a very responsible attitude, young man. I wish more young people these days would think about someone other than themselves." Hideki piled more food on his plate than he could comfortably carry.

"Yes, too many children are caught up in violence and irrational behavior. It's nice to meet such a quiet and well-grounded young man." Mineko dropped one of the serving spoons. "Oh my."

Kaname had started coughing. Sousuke, nonviolent? Rational? Well-grounded? She walked over and retrieved the spoon.

Shunya gave Sousuke a contemplative look, wondering if the young man actually meant what he said, or was pandering to the crowd.

Ayame's look was rather petulant.

"However, acting on behalf of others often brings its own rewards." Sousuke put an éclair on his plate. That was followed by a number of different cookies and a fruit tart. "Life comes with no guarantees. It is best to honor those you care about each day, as you do not know how long you or they might have." Sousuke looked briefly at Kaname, and then back at the plate he was carrying. "One should also enjoy what they can, when they can." He gave the desserts to Ayame. He eyed her face expectantly.

"For me?" Ayame's eyes went wide. She looked over at her father, and then at Sousuke. "Thank you. But Daddy said 'no'." She put the plate down, her finger lingering on one of the cookies.

"That is admirable control," Sousuke said amiably. "I wish that your sister was so adept." Sousuke swallowed hard. He had been honest. It would have been better if he had been quiet. "I… what I meant…"

The sound of a spoon bouncing off of a table could be heard. Kaname looked pale, but soon turned red. The spoon, full of Peanut Wontons, had left a trail of food down the trembling girl's dress.

Ayames' smile widened.

Shunja closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them. Sousuke was quite a conundrum. At first he had been furious, when the boy seemed to override his parental order to Ayame. But, he might have been giving his daughter a chance to improve her appearance before the guests, given his words. Then, with his own star in the ascendancy, he made that remark about Kaname.

"I'll go get changed," Kaname said, trying to smile. Walking past Sousuke, she stopped. It would have been wiser to keep walking. "_This _time, I should make you jump off the roof while I get dressed." She had tried to make it so only Sousuke could hear her. She failed.

Another spoon made its way to the floor. Shunya looked at his empty hand, and then at Kaname. Ayame rubbed her hands together.

"It's so difficult raising girls," Makiko said. She had five daughters.

"Yes," Shunya said, staring at Sousuke.

Kaname had her new dress on in no time. After tossing her soiled clothing in the washing machine, she joined the others at the buffet tables. Looking at Sousuke, she scowled. Catching a glimpse of her father's face, she felt a chill run through her.

"So, young man, aren't you going to serve yourself some food? This is truly fine cooking." Takeji looked over at Sousuke.

"You said that you had eaten many foods over the years that might not suit my taste. Are you like so many boys today, a fan of noodles and little else?" Makiko placed a spoon of Lemongrass-flavored Thai Seafood Salad on her neatly arranged plate.

"No Mam," Sousuke answered. "I was referring to situations where I was forced to live off the land." He didn't hear Shunya's _'Ahem,' _which sounded more like a cough than a word. "One can, with relatively few exceptions, eat anything that crawls, swims, walks, or flies. The first obstacle is overcoming your natural aversion to a particular food source." He went ahead with his instruction, despite the noises that Kaname mad. "Historically, people in starvation situations have resorted to eating everything imaginable for nourishment."

"Well that's really fascinating," Kaname said quickly. "But I'm certain that no one wants to hear _that _kind of stuff." Her voice made it plain that the topic was out of bounds. _"Hmmmpppfff!"_

"One shouldn't rush to conclusions, Kaname. That's another failing of young people today." Mineko took a few spoonfuls of food off of her husband's plate. When she turned to face Sousuke, her husband put the food back on. "When I was a teacher, the children were eager to learn new things. Even Shunya." She smiled at her former pupil. "You were saying?" That last was directed to Sousuke.

"Insects are the most abundant life form on earth, and they are insects are easily caught. They provide sixty-five to eighty percent protein compared to twenty percent for beef. This fact makes insects an important, if not overly appetizing, source…"

"Sousuke…" Kazname tried to get Sousuke's attention. He was too deep into his spiel.

"Insects to avoid include all adults that sting or bite…hairy or brightly colored insects… and caterpillars and insects that have a pungent odor. I would also recommend that one avoid spiders and common disease carriers such as ticks, flies, and mosquitoes…" Sousuke stood with one hand behind his back, like he was lecturing a new recruit on the basics of Arm Slave maintenance. "Amphibians…"

"_Sous-kay_…" Kaname gripped her plate so tightly that her fingers hurt.

"Frogs and salamanders are easily found around bodies of fresh water. Frogs seldom move from the safety of the water's edge. At the first sign of danger, they plunge into the water and bury themselves in the mud and debris…." As Sousuke spoke, he didn't notice the dark look on Kaname's face, the disbelief in Shunya's eyes, or the grin Ayame had at seeing her sister's reaction. "There are few poisonous species of frogs. Avoid any brightly colored frog or one that has distinct "X" mark on it's back. Do not confuse toads with frogs. You normally find toads in drier environments. Several species of toads secrete a poisonous substance through their skin as a defense against attack. Therefore…"

"**S-O-U-S-U-K-E!**"

Kaname's shout set a number of things in motion. The loud noise caused Takeji to spasm. A prawn flew through the air, bouncing off of Shunya's newly polished shoe before rolling to a stop by the front door. Worse, as she vented her anger, Kaname had shaken the spoon in Sousuke's general direction. A blob of mustard sauce clung to Ayames' nose, while a spring roll it had been covering bounced onto Makiko's plate.

"Oh, Mrs. Tetsuya, I am _so-o-o-o _sorry," Kaname said, mortified.

"Do not forget your sister," Sousuke said. That earned him a smile from Ayame, who was otherwise fit to be tied.

"You…… had…… better…… worry…… about…… your-_self_…" Kaname said to Sousuke through her teeth.

"It's alright, Shunya." Mineko said. "Children will be children. I remember what you were like in high school." No doubt, the evening wouldn't end without some of those stories being told. "You shouldn't be too concerned if your daughter is a little high strung. She may grow out of it. Some girls are like that, especially when they are faced with big changes in their lives."

Shunya mumbled his agreement. Ayame ran to wash her face. She hurried, because she didn't want to miss a thing. The look Kaname gave Sousuke promised retribution.

"So, you were saying?" Hideki asked Sousuke.

"It might be best…." Shunya tried to redirect the conversation.

"Nonsense Shunya." Mineko said. "Earlier, you were trying to get the boy to open up and talk. There's no harm in sharing what he knows."

"I do not wish to cause any trouble," Sousuke said. He began to wonder if any of the ruckus was his fault. But, how _could_ it be? He had only been telling what he knew about survival foods.

"Please. Go ahead," Mineko said.

"Sir?" Sousuke looked over at Shunya. He watched as Kaname gave her father a pleading look. Ayame was nodding her head, breathless from running.

"Fine." Shunya looked over at Kaname. His meaning was clear. Kaname smiled a crooked smile at Sousuke. Her meaning was clear too. Retribution was only the beginning…

"Yes. Well. Where was I?" Sousuke thought a moment. "Worms are an excellent protein source. Dig for them in damp humus soil or watch for them on the ground after a rain…."

Kaname took a step towards Sousuke, her plate tipping precariously. She stopped when her father held his hand up.

"After capturing them, drop them into clean, potable water for a few minutes. The worms will naturally purge or wash themselves out, after which you can …" Sousuke was unable to finish. There was a loud crashing noise. Hideki had dropped his plate.

"**SOUSUKE, YOU BIG IDIOT! **"

By habit, Kaname shouted. Catching herself, she continued only slightly less quietly. "**Look what you did! **"

"My goodness. She _is_ certainly a loud child. Even louder than you were, Shunya." Mineko turned her hearing aid down in volume in the ear nearest to Kaname. "But, maybe that's how girls get boys to take notice of them these days."

Kaname stared incredulously. She was too stunned by the whole situation to help clean up the large mess.

"It's certainly not Sousuke's fault," Hideki said. "Blame these arthritic hands of mine. I put way too much food on my plate." He nodded when his wife gave him a 'I told you so' look. "If anything, the topic made me nostalgic. We were taught something like that back when I was in the military."

Kaname stamped her foot. It was indeed Souske's fault. Were her father's friends too senile to see that. She blushed when all of the adults looked at her, disapproving her fit of pique.

"You're a strong and healthy looking young man, Sousuke," Takeji said. "Did you ever think about joining the military? I did a short stint when I was young. It taught me a great deal about life, and I was able to serve my country without ever going into combat."

"I am certain that the military would be a fine career, Sir." Sousuke said. He noticed a look of relief in Shunya's eyes. "I am still undecided on my future."

We could use fine young men like you to protect us," Makiko said. "Especially after the terrible fighting that took place in the city. Imagine, something like that happening in Japan."

Kaname dropped her plate. Her eyes widened, when Sousuke quickly caught it on his foot and kept it balanced long enough for her to grab hold again.

"Well, it's not the first time," Hideki said. "Who could forget that great red machine, and what it did to the port area?"

Sousuke looked at Kaname, and then at her plate. Kaname swallowed hard, too distracted to get upset at Sousuke's wondering whether she was able to hold onto her plate.

"Airplanes kidnapped. Boats sea jacked. And the nerve gas attack. What was their name?" Makiko looked to her husband. He looked like he was trying to think of an answer.

"_Aum Shinrikyo_, a religious sect, preceded by 'Aum Divine Wizard Association'. The group revered Shiva as their chief god, and had an ultimate aim to 'save all living things from transmigration.' The group is often referred to as a new Buddhist sect, but it also claims to be an original religion based on Hinduism." Sousuke spoke automatically. He turned to Shunya and gave him an apologetic look, but Kaname's father merely gave him a small hand motion.

"Thank you, Sousuke." Mineko smiled. "So clever. You must read a great deal. I'm surprised that you weren't top student in your class. I wish I had more students like you. My days teaching would have been much more pleasant."

Kaname flinched, hearing that. She knew what Ms. Kagurazaka would say in her place. Still too numb from the offhand mention of terrorist attacks that had scarred her life, she didn't notice that her plate was tipped in her direction. Biting her lips, she was glad that she hadn't been present at the nerve gas attack that took place in 1995. That would have given her the entire set…

"Ka…na… _may-y-y-y-y-y_…" Ayame pointed at her sister's plate.

Kaname looked down. She had spilled food on herself again.

"It is a good thing that you have so many pretty dresses," Sousuke said.

"The boy must have a death wish," Shunya muttered under his breath.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

After a rather disastrous start to the meal, things settled in nicely.

Sousuke was not a sparkling conversationalist, but he did his best to answer questions politely and as honestly as possible.

As one might suspect, he came across as a confused teenager with a tragic past, a young man with a good heart trying to find his place in the world. Naturally, he was much more than that, but he would make certain no one caught on.

Shunya's guests found him fascinating, with Hideki seeing some of himself in the boy; Mineko seeing a young man in need of tutelage; Makiko seeing a bereft child in need of mothering; and Takeji seeing someone who cared a great deal about Kaname without ever verbalizing that fact.

Takeji could sympathize with Shunya. But, from his experience with his own daughters, he knew that things would get harder before they got easier.

The meal was wonderful, much to Shunya's credit. Fine food, nice drink, and conversation on many topics. Indeed, the hectic and almost comical moments at the serving tables almost seemed as if they had never happened.

Kaname, wearing the dress that Sousuke had described as 'suitable', found herself relaxed and inapprehensive, much to her surprise. She had had weathered talk about New York City and her moving to America, fighting off depression with her natural ebullience. When asked about her future, and specifically about her idea of career choices, she had answered much more successfully than Sousuke. With a self-satisfied grin, she had smiled at him across the table, letting him know that _that _was how one did it.

For her, the most difficult part had been answering questions about her time at Jindai High School. When asked about her most memorable moments, she had to step lively. There was no way that she would describe her various adventures and misadventures with Sousuke, even though they were the first thing that came to mind.

Ayame, of course, didn't have as much to talk about as her older sister did. But, she didn't care about that. She was much more interested in bringing up old stories, than she was with answering questions about school or life in America. Diligently, she brought up every funny and embarrassing childhood story that her father had told her about Kaname. She was ecstatic when her father picked up the ball and ran with it… until he showed his impartiality and began telling tales about _her. _Worse, Kaname had stories too, and she was less considerate than their father.

"Is there something wrong, Sousuke?" Shunya noticed Sousuke countenance with the shrewd eyes of a father, not a diner host. There was obviously something on the young man's mind.

"No Sir, nothing wrong. I noticed that you, Kaname, and Ayame are amazing together." That was a poignant observation, for someone whose parents were killed before his eyes, long before he could ever develop a special synergy with them. But, it was more. Kaname looked so happy laughing and arguing with her family. Maybe it was best that she was going to the States with them.

"Yes, we are." Shunya was clever enough to guess what Sousuke must be feeling. "But, family remains just that, whether they are in the same room, or half a world apart. The same goes for friends." He raised a glass to his dinner guests.

Kaname felt her heart fall down to her feet. He father's answer had started off giving her hope, making her wonder if her father would consider her staying in Tokyo. But, that last part sounded like a message to Sousuke. Was she reading too much into things?

"Kaname Dear, are you alright?" Mineko looked down at the table. Kaname had the edge of the tablecloth grasped tightly in her hand.

"I… I'm…" Kaname's throat felt dry. She was saved by the bell. Literally.

The doorbell rang. Excusing herself, Kaname moved quickly to answer the door. Shunya followed suit, wondering who might be arriving unannounced at night.

"Hello?" Kaname cracked the door a small amount. A middle-aged man she did not recognize stood there, illuminated yellow by the bright light above the door.

"Mr. Shunya Chidori?" The man asked.

"I'm Mr. Chidori," Shunya said, opening the door and motioning Kaname to make her way back to the table. Hoping that the conversation would move on past her, Kaname waited before heading back.

"Sir. I'm Motoyuki Yasui, United Nations University." The man, dressed in his work clothes, carried a briefcase. He opened it to remove a fax communication. "I'm sorry to disturb you at home, Sir. I had been unable to find you earlier, and then became involved with urgent management issues."

"We're in the middle of a dinner with guests," Shunya stated. "Can this wait until morning?" Shunya wondered just what was on that fax.

"I apologize most sincerely, Sir. I thought that you might like to see the good news, and wanted you to know that the University of Cornell is awaiting final confirmation. They will want an answer promptly." Mr. Yasui took a deep breath, a faraway look in his eyes. Part of him wished that Shunya would ask him in for what must be a heavenly repast.

"That…." Shunya hadn't expected word about that at home.

"Those of us at the University were consulted on the proposed Model United Nations educational program, since our institution is more than an international community of scholars. As you are well aware, we serve as a bridge between the United Nations and the international academic community, and work as a think-tank for the United Nations system. We were the ideal people to set this program up. Professors van Ginkel, Thakur, and Suzuki felt that it was a magnificent idea, especially given the number of international scholars at that University."

Kaname bit her lip as she listened. The mention of Cornell caught her ear, and she wondered what this all meant. Was her father working to make that University a better place, now that his daughter was going to attend? But, they had only known of the acceptance for a short period of time.

She was also ignorant to what a _Model United Nations_, also known as a "Model UN" or an "MUN", actually represented. If asked, her father could explain that a Model UN is a simulation education activity focusing on civics, communications, globalization and multilateral diplomacy. In Model United Nations, students take on roles as foreign diplomats and participate in a simulated session of an intergovernmental organization. Participants research a country, take on a role as a diplomat, investigate international issues, debate, deliberate, consult, and then develop solutions to world problems. During a simulation they must employ a variety of communications and critical thinking skills to defend and advance the policies of their country.

The MUN simulation aims at being academically rigorous. It requires research that includes current affairs, economics, geography, government, history and politics. Students must do in-depth research, write foreign policy principles and position papers, and learn parliamentary procedure. They must formulate prepared presentations as well as give extemporaneous speeches. They must grasp foreign policy and culture norms. They must do technical writing as they craft properly formatted United Nations resolutions. Students practice listening, decision making, and strategic thinking skills as well.

"I appreciate your steadfast service, Mr.Yasui. I am gratified that you and the people you work with saw merit in the proposed program. If I may, I would be glad to discuss things with you further at your convenience. _However, _with guests here now…" Shunya gave the man a pointed look.

"Yes. I understand completely. Before I go, I must say that we are all quite aware of the work you do in the United Nations. Our Environment and Sustainable Development Program is presenting a lecture series next week, _'Conserving Cultural and Biological Diversity: The Role of Sacred Natural Sites and Cultural Landscapes.'_ We would be honored if you could attend." Mr. Yasui took another deep breath. He kept his well-practiced smile, despite thinking about the left-overs his wife would have waiting at home for him.

After the man had finally left, Shunya returned to the dinner table, finding Kaname already seated amongst his guests. No one at the table asked whom the visitor was, and Shunya saw no reason to broach the subject. Soon, for everyone but Kaname, dinner picked up right where it had left off. She sat pensively at first, her mind a jumble of thoughts, some advocating trust and patience, while others clamored over possible subterfuge and secret treaties. She shook it off. That kind of thinking came from being around a certain young soldier too much.

Sousuke looked over at Kaname, a look of concern on his face. He nodded his head when Kaname put on a fake smile and shrugged. That had him feeling better. Until Ayame spoke again.

"It's not fair, though" Ayame said, in answer to a question about American schools. "Daddy won't let _me_ have a boyfriend. But Kaname has Sousuke." The sparkle in her eye was clear proof that she knew exactly what kind of fire storm her remark might start. Even so, things took a direction she never would have expected.

"But… I… he's not _really_…" Kaname came close to spitting water all over the table.

"Uhhh… that label might _not _be accurate…" Sousuke had frozen, a large shrimp clinging precariously to the tines of his fork.

"**Ayame Chidori **," Shunya said, "I will ask you not to start trouble at the dinner table." Shunya have his younger daughter a looked loaded with the promise of time spent in her room, dishes to be cleaned for weeks on end, and a lack of hoped for privileges.

When the introductions were being made, Sousuke had been presented as a high school friend of Kaname, not as her boyfriend. Shunya had invited him to dinner, wanting to see just how he might react in pleasant company, somewhat concerned with some things he had been told when he called school officials after the graduation party. He had also hoped to have a few quiet moments alone with the young operative, while Kaname and Ayame entertained his other guests.

Most of all, he wanted to get an idea of how much Sousuke meant to Kaname. Gratitude for rescues was one thing. So was an emotional bond forged through shared life and death situations. What did he mean to her beyond all that? He was very much on the alert, looking for subtle clues.

Mineko made some comments about young love, thinking back to when she was a young girl in war torn Japan. She showed how sharp her memory was by mentioning a girl that Shunya had a crush on so many years earlier. That had Ayame sitting forward in her chair, taking mental notes.

Hideki also reminisced about his own youth, telling Sousuke that there were stories he would tell him later, when the ladies were off chatting together. That too had Ayame looking eager, until her father gave her an even darker look than before.

Takeji simply sat and smiled, gratified to know that his intuition had been proven correct once again. He was quite certain now that Kaname and Sousuke were more than simple friends.

So was his wife.

"Yes, there are reasons to wait for boyfriends, Ayame." Makiko looked at Ayame, but her words were meant for Kaname and Shunya. "But, the world is changing, and things aren't like they once were."

"Indeed. But…" Shunya closed his mouth. Makiko hadn't finished.

"At the Tokyo clinic, we have noted some growing trends. The average age for teenagers engaging in sexual activity grow younger and younger. It is no longer unusual to find boys and girls starting out as young as 12 years of age, whereas once upon a time most teens waited until college or even their wedding night to begin their sexual life." Makiko ignored a look from her husband. This was her area of expertise. And, as a mother with daughters, she felt that all young girls needed certain information. Shunya did not strike her as someone willing or able to teach Ayame and Kaname what they needed to know.

"_Twelve?" _Mineko looked shocked. She disapproved of the smirk on her husband's face.

Shunya didn't say anything. He simply looked at his daughters, feeling a kernel of anxiety in his belly.

"It may be younger in places such as Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and the like. But there, it is often not by choice, or it is out of necessity due to terrible poverty." Sousuke answered automatically, adding facts that he knew. The look that Kaname gave him said that certain facts might get him irreparably harmed. Shunya's glance had him blinking rapidly, his hand going where his pistol usually was.

"Ahhh. Really? And have you visited those places, young man?" Hideki's question carried with it a number of separate queries, one spoken and one inferred. His wife stepped on his foot as a warning.

"Uhhh…." Sousuke didn't answer.

"Apart from driving parents crazy, there are numerous health risks involved when girls become sexually active at a young age including, of course, unfit or unwanted pregnancy. More importantly, though, is the risk of being exposed to or contracting a potentially fatal disease or infection. Some of these sexually transmitted diseases and infections are treatable, while others are not." Makiko looked Shunya firmly in the eyes, letting him know that she was doing his work for him, whether he liked it or not. Seeing what she saw at work, she had become a crusader for young women.

"Yes. Well, I'm certain that most girls will hear all about that in health classes at school," Shunya said. His look at Kaname said 'you better have taken good notes!' The look he gave Ayame was 'Wait until class before you start asking too many questions!'

"That is better than listening to one's peers, who may not know as much as they seem, or who might purposefully try to influence one's activities." Sousuke had reason to say that. More because of Kurz and Melissa than anything the boys at school had told him.

"Very good, Sousuke." Makiko gave Sousuke a large smile. That was in contrast to looks from Kaname and her father that said 'Be quiet! Don't get that woman talking more than need be!' "The only way this growing epidemic can be stemmed is to educate parents, teens, schools and community centers about teen sexuality and the risks involved. Our efforts to prevent pregnancy in very young girls, who themselves are still children, can only be successful if the correct guidance is offered to our teens at home, at school and elsewhere."

"My wife is very dedicated in her work," Takeji said to Shunya as a disguised apology.

"There are many ways to be a teacher," Mineko put in, approving of the other woman's zeal, but disturbed by her use of the dinner table as her pulpit. "But, there is a proper place and time for everything."

"Do you and Kaname know the proper place and time?" Ayame couldn't help herself. Kaname had brought up too many embarrassing stories of her earlier in the meal.

"Sousuke began choking. He had swallowed something the wrong way.

Kaname stopped just short of yelling at her sister.

"Ayame. I think it best that you take your plate into the kitchen, and then remove yourself to your room." Shunya's voice brooked no disobedience or argument.

"If you like, I will speak with Ayame later on," Makiko said. "Young girls may be shy about approaching their parents with questions about sex, even thought their elders are wiser and know more about sex than their friends do, and they have their best interest at heart." She looked at Ayame. "If you don't want to talk to me, you might try the following. Write your father a note with any questions you may have. Practice asking whatever questions you have before approaching him. And, you might want to ask him for some private time, when the two of you are the only ones in the house." She looked at Shunya again. "Your father might not start such a conversation, but I'm certain that he would respond." She was being factual. But, she wouldn't mind sending the girls' father on a guilt trip. For her, the ends justified the means.

After Ayame left for her banishment, Makiko allowed her husband and others to steer the conversation. But, despite that, Shunya maintained a somewhat rigid pose, sparing Kaname a glance ever so often. She blushed or bit her lip each time she caught him doing so.

"It's a very different world," Takeji said at one point, when the couples had been discussing their courtships and marriages. "Teenage prostitution. Girls selling their panties to old men. My granddaughters tell me things about their schools that make me shiver. I used to think we were better off than the western world; but, know I wonder if the opposite might be true."

Shunya looked uneasy again. Things were moving back in a direction he hoped they would have finished with that evening. But, looking at Kaname, he wondered if his decisions about her and America might not indeed be proper.

"That's because the television and newspapers keep reporting repeatedly reported such extreme cases as if they are common practice among high school girls, convincing them that it is unfashionable to be careful about sex," Makiko said. "Men should shoulder more of the blame for the situation, since they have promoted a sex culture based on their desires while ignoring the delicate nature of female bodies. It is mostly men in the media who have exaggerating the sex lives of teenage girls to boost sales or raise viewer ratings."

"It is not _all_ exaggeration," Sousuke said, ignoring a plea from Kaname. "There was a girl at school who had taken a liking to me." He almost went on to say that he had blown up the love note that she had sent him, but managed not to. "Kaname and I went undercover at the Student Council President's request and found her at the C&J, a new local club where Jindai High School girls seem to be going to for a part time job. It was a brothel."

Kaname sank down in her chair. She couldn't bring herself to look in her father's direction. It didn't matter that she had done a good thing. It didn't matter that she didn't do anything overly indecent. All that would matter was that she had walked into a brothel. That, and the fact that she had done so with Sousuke.

"**_Ahem!_**" Shunya came close to knocking his water glass over.

"Don't be angry if the two of them helped expose a bad situation," Makiko requested. "Too many people turn a blind eye to things like that, until it's too late. Be glad that Kaname and Sousuke have a strong moral perspective. It's wonderful to see teenagers who respect women and their bodies."

"I respected women and their bodies as a teenager," Hideki put in, looking to draw a chuckle from Takeji, and maybe even Shunya. All he got was a long stare from his wife.

"It's nothing to joke about," Makiko insisted. "The gynecologists I work with are constantly shocked by the number of young girls who have crazy sex lives without any concerns about their health. Many girls who visit our clinic have become pregnant after casual sex with complete strangers. Sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, Chlamydia, and Human Papilloma Virus present a risk to the uninformed."

"Affirmative. That is one of the reasons why I refused to accompany a friend of mine to Sydney in order to visit with prostitutes." Sousuke nodded his head, Kurz' half-joked offer fresh in his mind. "Uhhh… not that I ever would…uhhh… even if things weren't… uhhh….""

That time Kaname did spit out the water in her mouth. Naturally, Sousuke's comment had caught her off guard. She had no doubt who had made that offer to Sousuke. It had her thinking. Was Sousuke less innocent than he made out to be? If not, just what kind of encounters had he been through with women? No. Wait. What business was it of hers? Why should _she _care why that big jerk might have done?

Hideki winked at Sousuke. Takeji grinned, enjoying the spectacle of the situation, assuming by Sousuke's reaction that the young man was by no means worldly. Minkeo's mouth hung open.

"This is a very wise young man," Makiko said, beaming at Sousuke. "The kind that any father would be lucky to have as his daughter's boyfriend."

The look that Shunya gave Sousuke suggested otherwise.

"Yes dear," Takeji smoothly put in, with a nod to Shunja. "But these days, fewer and fewer girls get involved in serious intimate relationships. Even amongst married couple, there is a decline in sexual behavior." The sharp tone in his voice indicated that he was slyly complaining about such a decline in his own relationship. "Marriages, births, and hanky-panky are all spiraling downward."

"Yes, and that has troubling implications for the nation's future. A sagging birthrate means that fewer working-age people will be around to support a growing population of elderly." That was a subject Mineko had thought about on numerous occasions. "If the experts are correct, there is a social crisis looming."

"Only in Japan would a popular weekly newsmagazine deem it necessary to exhort the nation's youth to abstain from sexual abstinence. _'Young people, don't hate sex,' _a magazine pleaded last month, in a report detailing a precarious drop in sales of condoms and in business at Japan's rent-by-the-hour love hotels'."

"Love hotels?" Sousuke had not heard that term before.

"**S-O-U-S-U-K-E S-A-G-A-R-A!**" Kaname couldn't help herself. That shout just burst out of her.

"Thank you, Kaname." Shunya was not displeased by his daughters lack of manners.

"More and more Japanese men and women are finding relationships too messy, tiring and potentially humiliating to bother with anymore," Mineko said, remembering things that she had read. "They don't want a complicated life."

"Yes, and in many young couples…" Takeji paused, letting his wife know that he was less concerned with the national trends with thirty-something couples than he was with his own fourty-something partner. "…To an astonishing degree, men and women go their separate ways. The women go to designer boutiques and chic restaurants with their girlfriends or moms, and the men go to karaoke clubs with their colleagues from work, or seek the solitude of their computer screens to romance hassle-free virtual women."

"Virtual women?" Sousuke cocked his head.

"Cybersex," Takeji answered. That did not make Sousuke any less confused.

"That might be better for some men," Shunya said. Sousuke aught his eyes and began to sweat.

"It's not good for the nation," Takaeji insisted, too entangled in his own thoughts to catch his old friend's meaning. "As many as a million young men… mostly teenagers, more and more old men as well… suffer from what is known here as _hikikomori_. They seclude themselves in their rooms for weeks at a time, for various reasons. Some are afraid of women…."

"They're smart," Kaname muttered under her breath, looking over at Sousuke.

"Others have had traumatic experiences…." Takeji continued.

"Tell me about it," Kaname grumped quietly, her eyes meeting Sousuke's.

"Some have been bullied at school or work." Takeji raised one eyebrow, actually catching the interplay between Kaname and Sousuke. The later looked even more perplexed than before.

"I think that a lot of it comes down to the fact that younger people these days find reason to enjoy the single life." Mineko once again thought back to her own younger days. She sighed. "Many young Japanese women live carefree lives, staying at home with their parents, paying little if any rent, letting their mothers cook their meals, clean their rooms and do their laundry. Many work dead-end jobs that don't pay much but don't cause much stress and give them enough spending money to buy designer handbags, shoes, clothes and jewelry, and have enough time to take overseas holidays with their girlfriends."

Kaname turned her nose up at Sousuke, and then looked over at her father. Shunya looked away.

"Good for them," Makiko said. "There certainly are shortcomings associated with love and marriage Japanese-style. The husband works long hours and carouses into the night with his pals from work. The wife is expected to stay home, clean house and take care of kids. If the children behave badly, she's a bad mother. If her husband has an affair, she's a bad wife." The tone in her voice made it no secret that she had suspicions about her spouse.

"Yes, some Japanese men propose to women with lines like 'I want you to cook miso soup for me the rest of my life'." Mineko shook her head.

"Well, I meant that!" Hideki said.

" Japan's increasingly educated and well-traveled young women are not impressed with that kind of thing," Makiko asserted. Men seem bewildered by the rising assertiveness of Japanese women. I think that men are getting weaker." That not so subtle dig had Takeji frowning. "Women don't have to rely on men anymore. They can live on their own."

Sousuke's head was spinning. He tried to keep up with everything, but was lagging too far behind. All he knew was that relationships between men and women were far more complex than he could have ever imagined. It was simpler to read through a text on Arbalest maintenance, or piece together intelligence data for a complicated mission.

"Boys are jerks," Kaname said.

"Yes they are," Shunya asserted. He looked embarrassed when he realized exactly what he had agreed to. He shrugged apologetically when Hideki and Takeji looked at him with frowns.

"Not Sousuke! He's pretty great!" That was Ayame. She was standing by her open door, listening. On the nearby table, the plate that Sousuke had set aside for her was empty of treats.

"**Ayame**…" Shunya sounded stern.

"_Hmmmpppfff!" _Kaname tossed her hair.

"I take it you're not going to America with Kaname," Takeji asked Sousuke. He was pretty certain he knew the answer, but realized that the precise issue had never been addressed.

"Why should he?" Shunya put in quickly.

"Well… if the two are close… that's a long distance to be apart." Takeji replied.

"It would be hard to maintain any romantic relationship over that distance," Makiko said, agreeing with her husband. "If there _was_ one," she added for Kaname's benefit.

"At least the pain might be slower in coming that way," Hideki put in. "It hurts a lot more to be rejected outright."

"That's true," Mineko said. "_Nobody_ enjoys rejection. It's especially awful when adults act like you're supposed to instantly bounce back." She stared at Shunya for a long moment. "Some parents act as if it were no big deal, almost as if they are saying _'What? You mean you can't just grow a new heart or something? What's the matter with you!'_"

Kaname clasped her hands under the table. Her traditional game of being angry at Sousuke suddenly wasn't fun any more. The truth of her upcoming future caught up with again. No, it had never been all that far from her thoughts, but now it was hard to ignore the facts.

"That's right. That kind of attitude certainly doesn't help teenagers, especially when it's their first true heartbreak. They have no previous experiences to fall back on." Having gotten a fair understanding of what was going on, Makiko gave Sousuke a sympathetic look. "But, believe it or not, though, life will go on. Even when your feelings are telling you otherwise."

Sousuke looked down at his plate. He didn't care if anyone there realized his relationship with Kaname. His feelings were what mattered to him. The woman's statement had hit him like a full broadside from a nineteenth century ship of the main.

The conversation continued after that, touching on a number of different and unrelated subjects.

Neither Sousuke nor Kaname would remember a word of it the next day.


	8. eight

The clock seemed to be moving so slowly.

Kaname stopped typing. She sighed, looking out the window. It was difficult transcribing a document meant to save lives, when her own seemed hopeless.

She knew she wasn't being fair, or even logical. But, that didn't matter. The advice that her father's friends had for her had been heartfelt and wise, but it didn't make her feel any better. That would take time, and time was her enemy at the moment. Time was ticking away. Someone had turned the hourglass over, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"Sousuke…."

Closing her eyes, she tried to slow down her heart rate. She willed herself to breath more easily. Just the same, she had to rewind the dictation and play the last sentence all over again. This was her job. She had to focus. There was no time to worry about dinner last week, or wonder if Sousuke might show up at lunch time today.

"Japan has been in the forefront of sound practices in minimizing the destructive impacts of disasters, with a comprehensive system of preparedness and response in place at the national, prefectural and local levels, and with responsibilities mapped to respond to disaster situations." She spoke the words under her breath as she typed. She scowled. But, it was her job to type, not be critical of the words chosen. "This UNEP study on the recent Tokage Typhoon , number twenty-three of 2004, is the first in a series of publications that helps demonstrate the preparedness measures in place in Japan, and provide valuable lessons for mitigation and management in other countries facing similar disasters."

Kaname stopped again. She looked up at the clock. It still wasn't noon. She had to get a grip. It had been a number of days since she had seen Sousuke, much less heard from him. Neither he nor her father would tell her what they had spoken about after the other guests had gone home. All she knew was that her father was acting as if it were not in her best interest to see Sousuke any more. At least he hadn't ordered her to stay away from him.

He was still in Tokyo. She was pretty sure of that, since the telephone call from him had some from his apartment, unless Mithril had some technology that messed with caller I.D. She had been busy taking care of her affairs in Japan, and with shopping for things she wanted to bring with her to America. Most of her shopping for college would take place overseas. She had no idea what Sousuke had been up to.

"The impacts of disasters, whether natural or man-made, not only have human dimensions, but environmental ones as well. Environmental conditions may exacerbate the impact of a disaster, and vice versa, disasters tend to have an effect on the environment." Kaname paused the dictation. Thinking about natural disasters made her think about Sousuke. And thinking about Sousuke were making her attempts at typing a disaster. "Big idiot! He's not even around, and he's causing me trouble. Back to work, Kaname. Deforestation, forest management practices, or agricultural systems can exacerbate the negative environmental impacts of a storm or typhoon, leading to landslides, flooding, and surface water contamination, as illustrated by the 2004 hurricane and storm tragedies in Haiti, and in the Philippines." She sighed. "Sousuke in Arbalest can lead to landslides, flooding, and surface contamination too."

She looked up at the clock again. That dinner the other night had turned into a natural disaster. But, to be fair, it wasn't all Sousuke's fault. Just the same, he had certainly left an impression on her father. But, all things considered, it may have been the subject matter that had caused the most damage.

It wasn't as if she and Sousuke were groping around in the dark every night. Geez. They hadn't even shared a romantic kiss! Her father really needed to lighten up. He was a teenager once too. Mrs. Tetsuya had told a number of stories from his youth, after all. But, she needed to be fair to him too. He didn't want her to get hurt. Time was ticking away. The hourglass didn't care whether or not Kaname Chidori ever got to see Sousuke Sagara again.

"We have only now come to understand these cyclical cause and impacts and realize that taking care of our natural resources and managing them wisely not only assures that future generations will be able to live in sustainable ways, but also reduces the risks that natural and man-made hazards pose to people living today."

Kaname had to take her headset off. For a moment, she felt very claustrophobic. There was no guarantee that she would be able to live in sustainable ways, especially given the threat of man-made hazards in her life. She was still Whispered. Her father just couldn't bring himself to see what that meant for him and Ayame, blinded as he was by his paternal confidence and his desire to have his family together again.

The threat from terrorist groups might not have been ended. Their attempts on her might well prove to be cyclical. Sousuke and Mithril were her biggest proponents, and now he would be gone from her life. There was no guarantee that the Atlantic branch of the organization would make her as high of a priority as the Pacific once had, if they chose to take on her case at all.

"Are you alright Kaname? You look a little pale?" Miyazawa Tachibana asked. She, like Kaname, was a summer temp.

"Ummm… yes… sure… I'm fine, thanks." Bringing herself back into focus, she resumed her work after politely declining Miya's offer of a blind date with her boyfriend's boss. "Emphasizing and reinforcing the centrality of environmental concerns in disaster management has become a critical priority, as advocated by UNEP, requiring the sound management of natural resources as a tool to prevent disasters and lessen their impacts on people, their homes, and their livelihoods."

"Are you talking to yourself, Kaname?"

Kaname pushed her chair back so fast, she banged her head painfully on a low set shelf behind her. For a moment, she saw stars. When the Milky Way was gone, she noticed Sousuke standing there. He had a number of paper bags.

"**Sousuke!**" Kaname stood up, kncoking one of the shelves off, spilling books and typing supplies onto the floor. "_Ooooh…."_

"Affirmative. It is all my fault." Sousuke managed to keep a straight face. He had no doubt what Kaname's first thoughts would be.

"Huh? You know, blaming oneself for someone else's mistakes is not a good habit, stupid head. One might think that you have serious self-esteem issues." Kaname shook her headset at him.

"I see." Sousuke placed the bags on Kaname's desk. He quickly picked them back up again when he saw the look that she gave him. He placed them on the floor instead.

"Sousuke… I… I was really hoping that you…" Kaname slowed down. She was sounding too eager. She needed to maintain an air of dignity, illusionary or not.

"Stop by and see you on your lunch hours?" Sousuke asked, betting that Kaname would instead say that she was glad that he brought her some food.

"No, you big conceited jerk!" Kaname tossed her hair, then quieted down when one of her co-workes looked around the corner of her cubicle. "I was hungry. You can leave the food and just leave, if you like. _Hmmmpppfff!"_

"If that is your wish." Sousuke turned and walked from view. The sound of the stairwell door was plainly evident a few moments later.

"**SOUSUKE!**" Kaname shouted, and then put her hand over her mouth.

"Shhhhhh!" That admonishment came from at least half a dozen other typists.

"Kaname?" Souske peaked around the edge of her work space.

"You think you're so smart, don't you, mister!" Kaname couldn't help but smile.

"No. Not at all. Someone whose opinion I value habitually calls me a moron… jerk… idiot… and stupid head." Sousuke picked up a dictionary and began leafing through it.

"What are you doing, Sousuke?" Kaname couldn't help herself. She sounded somewhat cross.

"I am attempting to improve my manner of thinking. I am checking to see if any of those words refer to someone of heightened intellectual ability." Sousuke turned a number of pages. "_Moron_. A noun. A retarded person mentally equal to a child between eight and twelve years. Second definition, a very foolish or stupid person."

Kaname frowned. Sousuke's humor was getting more sophisticated. If this kept up, it might end up surpassing her own. "Alright Very funny."

"Is it? You might not laugh if you were the moron." Sousuke turned more pages. "Ah. _Idiot. _Also a noun. A retarded person mentally equal a child two years old. The second definition is familiar. A very foolish or stupid person. It says here to see Mental Retardation."

"I don't have to. I'm already looking at it." Kaname's scowl deepened.

"Here is a word that will interest you. I am surprised that you haven't used it before. Perhaps you were too busy as Class Representative and Student Council Vice President to do suitable research. That is certainly understandable." He leafed through the dictionary, finding the cross-referenced term. "_Imbecile. _Noun. A retarded person mentally equal to a child between three and eight years old. Second meaning, very foolish or stupid."

"That's enough, Sousuke. Don't be more of a jerk than you have to." Kaname began tapping her fingers against her computer keyboard.

"_Jerk. _There are more options this time, with noun and verb. A person regarded as disagreeable, contemptible, etc. especially as the result of foolish or mean behavior. As for the verb…" Sousuke blinked repeatedly when Kaname pulled the book away. "Kaname, you just jerked the book out of my hands."

Kaname hung her head. Not because she was exasperated. The last thing she wanted was for Sousuke to see her smile.

"I will look away, Kaname, if you do not wish for me to see you grin." Sousuke spoke in a flat voice.

"Sousuke, compared to you, all of those words refer to a person of heightened intellectual ability." Kaname looked up at Sousuke. There were tears in her eyes. "Where am I going to find another jerk like you?"

"Do you wish to find another, Kaname?" Sousuke looked serious this time. "In the long run, I suppose it will make you happier to find someone as soon as possible." He looked away, staring at an updated world map.

"Sousuke… I…."

"I apologize, Kaname. That is not a good subject, now. I had hoped to brighten your day by bringing lunch."

Kaname merely nodded. She didn't trust herself to speak at that moment. After taking a deep breath, she asked "What's in the bags?"

"Fried Tridents from the Ohaio Shop. Soba noodles from the Soba Shop in front of the station." Sousuke remembered Kaname mentioning those items as things she had wanted to eat before she die, back when they thought that the Full Monty Virus agent might be fatal.

"Oh…" Kaname put her hand over her mouth. Her eyes filled with tears. It took a moment, but she recognized the reference. The big idiot, imbecile, moron! How had he remembered that? And why did he seem determined to make her cry in front of her co-workers?

She froze. The memory had her remember other things as well. She was sitting naked behind a pair of bed curtains in the Nurse's office at school. Sousuke had ordered her to take her clothes off. At the time, she hadn't known why, but had done as he asked just the same.

Th-Thank you, Sousuke…" Kaname wiped away her tears and sniffed. "Would you like to eat outside? It's more private, even if the view isn't much."

"That would be nice," Sousuke said, leaving the bags on the floor. "First, would you be so kind as to inform me of the work that takes place in this Center?"

"OK. It might go over your head. But, it's the least I can do. You bought lunch." She offered Sousuke a chair, but as usual he remained standing. He also made certain to choose an angle that could not be seen by anyone outside of the building. Some things never change. The IETC's main role is to promote the application of Environmentally Sound Technologies or ESTs to address urban environmental problems, such as sewage, air pollution, solid waste and noise, and the management of freshwater resources to developing countries and countries with economies in transition. The Centre serves as a proactive inter-mediator for cooperation between sources and users of ESTs."

"You memorized that?" Sousuke looked impressed. He raised one eyebrow when Kaname covered a typed blurb she had taped to her desk front.

"Of course." Kaname smiled, she knew that Sousuke knew. By his look, he knew that she knew he knew. Whew. "They are very concerned about the management of freshwater basins, since lakes, reservoirs, and ground water are the planet's most important freshwater resources providing water for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses for much of the world's population." She moved her coffee cup to cover over that second blurb, trying not to smile. "As a part of the Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, IETC is currently closely coordinating its activities with substantive offices of UNEP, mainly Division of Policy Development and Law and Division of Environmental Policy Implementation, INFOTERRA, and UNEP's regional offices. We are also implementing joint activities with the Sustainable Cities Program of UN-HABITAT, and working in close collaboration with the United Nations Development Program, the Commission on Sustainable Development, the International Labor Organization, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development , the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Regional Economic Commissions and the United Nations organizations at large."

"I see. Quite a mouthful. I presume that you also…" he pried away her hand and read the end of the third blurb. "…building partnerships and collaborative relationships with international and bilateral financial institutions, technical assistance organizations, the private and academic sectors, foundations and corporations to broaden our technical and financial base of IETC."

Yes," Kaname said. "You might be smarted than you look." She stood up and threw herself on Sousuke, hugging him tightly. "Might."

Sitting outside on a concrete wall overlooking the empty truck bays, Kaname gave him a true idea of what the Center did.

"I don't see why that would matter to someone like you, you big stupid head. I hate to think how much environmental devastation you and that walking bucket of bolts have caused worldwide. When most people visit different countries, they take pictures, collect postcards, or buy souvenirs." Kaname bit into her third Trident. That was after scolding Sousuke for bring too many.

"This is true," Sousuke admitted.

"But, I guess that's just like you, huh?" Kaname wiped her mouth on her napkin. "When most people visit a school, they don't end up tackling teachers, blowing up lockers, killing and cooking koi… stuff like that…"

"That is also true," Sousuke said, finishing up his bowl of noodles.

"And… most girls… most smart girls don't end up…" Kaname looked up at Sousuke's face. "Most smart girls don't end up falling for guys like that…."

The two ended up kissing. To Kaname, she wanted to think of the moment as her first kiss, disregarding the kiss that Leonard had stolen from her after Sousuke had left for Hong Kong.

For Sousuke, it was his first real kiss. He had long since realized that CPR was not a form of kissing.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"The kind of car you drive, where you drive and where you park it all influence your vulnerability to terrorist kidnapping or car bombing."

Sousuke sat in the passenger's seat of Kaname's car. It was after hours at her place of work, a week after he had brought her the Tridents. Everyone but a small night crew had gone home. The Security guard gave Sousuke permission to drive around the large parking lot.

"_Sheeesh_, Sousuke. Are you sure we need to do this? I mean, you know what kind of car I have now. Daddy will probably get me something similar in America, if I need a car at all." Kaname gave a wary eye to the light poles and garbage cans that were part of the lot. The last thing she needed to do was wreck her car. There would be no way to sell it then.

"Kaname, you are still Whispered. I will not be around to protect you. Your first goal should be to lower your profile as a terrorist target. Use a plain car that doesn't attract attention to yourself. Consider avoiding government cars that immediately identify you as associated with the U.N. or U.S. Government." Sousuke was adamant. This was something he could do to look after Kaname, even when he was no longer around her.

"I don't know. It sounds kind of stupid. I'm not going to be the victim of a random attack, you know. If they know my name, they can find my picture. _Right?" _Kaname didn't want to seem too annoyed or ungrateful. After all, she wanted to spend as much pleasant time with Sousuke as possible.

Sousuke just kept on talking. "Terrorist acts against individuals, such as kidnappings or car bombings, usually occur outside the home and after the victim's habits have been established through surveillance over a period of time. Your most predictable habit that can be exploited by a terrorist is the route you travel between your home and place of schooling or commonly frequented local facilities. Vary these routes as much as possible."

"There won't be much chance of that in New York, Sousuke. The streets and traffic there might not let me do that kind of thing." Kaname sighed. She was beginning to get that old _'Sousuke needed to be tattooed with a halisen' _feeling again.

"You will not know that until you get there. You may also change your venue of education. If you have a schedule for the rest of your life, I will gladly go over it with you." Sousuke knew that Kaname would usually say 'Hmmmpppfff' after making that kind of statement. _"Hmmmpppfff!"_

"Please don't do that, Sousuke." Kaname frowned. "You're not very good at it."

"I see. Then while you practice driving, I will practice annoyed utterances." Sousuke didn't smile. He was not in the mood to be struck. "Although you may never be immune from terrorist attack, there are efforts that you can make that will reduce your chances of being kidnapped from your car, or decrease your risk of being a car bomb victim."

"I should have recorded all this to play back for my father," Kaname said. Her father might not believe her otherwise.

"That is a good idea. As a U.N. official, such skills might prove invaluable to him as well. But, seeing as I do not have a recording device, remember to tell him whatever you can." He shook his head when Kaname slapped her forehead in frustration. "For example, one common method of kidnapping favored by terrorist organizations is to stop a victim's car as it is driving along a predictable route. That's why it is important to vary your route frequently." Sousuke looked for sign of understanding in Kaname's eyes. "Check occasionally to see if another car is following you. If you think you are being followed, circle the block or change directions several times to confirm the presence of surveillance. Make note of a description of the car and its occupants, if possible. It is okay to let the surveillants know you have seen them, but do not under _any _circumstances take any action that might provoke them or that could lead to confrontation."

"You are close to provoking me to confrontation, stupid head!" Kaname stomped her foot. The car jerked. She had hit the accelerator.

Sousuke gave Kaname a long look that left her blushing. "If a suspected kidnapper does not stop following you, drive directly to the nearest safe haven, such as a military base, the nearest Embassy, or the local Police facilities. Continue to carry a cell phone at all times. Something else very important. You must learn to recognize and be alert to events that could signal the start of a plan to stop your car and take you captive. Such events include a cyclist falling in front of your car…a flagman or workman stopping your car…an unusual detour… a fake police check point… a road blocked by a disabled vehicle or accident victim…an accident in which your car is deliberately struck… cars or pedestrian traffic that box you in…any sudden activity or gunfire…."

"Alright already. Sousuke, you're giving me a headache!" Kaname just barely kept from stomping her foot again.

Sousuke was not moved. He didn't care how tired or bored Kaname might be. He went on to tell her that split second decisions were difficult to get right under adverse conditions, and that it would serve her well to rehearsing in your mind, in advance, how you will react under various possible circumstances. The options might be limited. One can sound the horn to draw attention to your car, ensuring that there will be witnesses to observe and report what happened. Drivers can make a quick U- turn and try to escape. If someone needs need to jump the curb, he or she should hit it at a 30-45 degree angle and maximum speed of 35 mph. If her path ever became blocked by a vehicle across the road, she could, at some risk to herself and any passengers, ram the blocking vehicle in an effort to spin it out of the way. He instructed her to hit the other vehicle on an angle, with the impact focused on the wheel you want to move out of the way.

"Thank you, Sousuke." Kaname's mood abruptly changed again. She leaned over and kissed him, wishing with all her heart that they had reached that stage of their relationship long ago. The fact that he was teaching these things made it easier for her heart to face the truth her head already knew. She was leaving Japan. Sousuke wouldn't be by her side any more.

"You do not need to do that, Kaname. My attempts at teaching you these things are as much for my own peace of mind as they are for your safety." Sousuke wiped a tear off of her eyelashes. "Also, you can serve as an emissary, bringing the otaku tradition to America."

Kaname hugged Sousuke. She fought back more tears as she did do, thinking about the strange vagaries of life. Kissing. His sense of humor. Her having a car. So many opportunities and wonders had begun coming about at the wrong time. In some ways, that was the story of her life. Looking over at Sousuke, she was glad that he had a chance to experience these things at all. Had he never come to Tokyo, he would be the same clueless and near emotionless boy that he had been before.

After giving her more didactic instruction, Sousuke switched gears so to speak. He began running her through driving techniques. "There are things you should become adept at. You will _not _learn them in a day. I will mail you an appropriate instructional video in the future, and ask you to practice the methods religiously. I also suggest that you purchase a copy of the book _'Drive to Survive' _on the car in park, he described the "J" turnaround; the "Y" turnaround; the "U" turnaround; the "bootleg" turn; and controlled skidding. After that, he described his own personal aggressive methodology that he had started learning when he was driving cars as a boy in Afghanistan.

For the next hour after that, he had Kaname begin practicing things behind the wheel. He felt guilty at one point, wondering why he was working so hard to keep her alive for someone else to love. But, the answer was obvious enough.

Kaname Chidori meant the world to him. No, Kaname Chidori _was_ the world for him.

Once gain, he would need to adjust to a new world.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The had long since gone down on Kasai Rinkai Park.

Kaname and Sousuke had already strolled along the waterfront area, visited the fabulous aquarium, and riden on Japan's largest Ferris wheel, the "Diamond and Flowers."

The day had been so clear, that they had been able to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji from atop the wheel. The sun had shone so brightly that it had been the broad expanse of blue ocean looked to be covered with diamonds. The park was divided into five separate zones under the theme of harmony among greenery, water, and people. Kaname made certain to kiss Sousuke in each of those zones.

"I'm glad you came here with me today, Sousuke." Standing under a large light, Kaname leaned against him as the wind kicked her hair up, making it look as if her head was the great blue octopus they had seen in the Aquarium's donut-shaped tank filled with giant bonito, tuna, and sharks.

"It will be a special memory, Kaname." Sousuke looked own at her, wondering if he would ever have a day like this with someone else. "I too am glad that we came."

After walking some more, and taking in some views of the city at night, the two made there way back to Kaname's car, parked in an out of the way place. It was getting late.

"Will your father be expecting you home soon, Kaname?" Sousuke asked.

"Don't worry about that, Sousuke. Sometimes you're too responsible for your own good." Kaname got into the driver's seat as Sousuke opened the passenger side door. "It's a beautiful night. We don't have too many more of those left. I feel like there is so much I want to tell you, but I don't know where to start." She leaned over onto Sousuke again, looking up at him with a look that told him that she wanted to be kissed. He obliged.

"You're trembling, Kaname. Are you well?" Sousuke put his hand on her forehead. She did not feel warm. "The night air is a bit chill, and we are not warmly dressed. You have the windows cracked as well."

Kaname turned on the radio. "I have blankets in the back seat, Sousuke." She trembled a bit more. "Why don't you come sit back there with me."

"Kaname? I could reach back for the blankets."

"I'd like to sit back there, mister. If that's alright with you. Do you always have to make things so difficult?" Kaname forced herself to take a deep breath. "These seats up here are good for driving. The one's in the back are good for… sitting." Kaname's voice had an odd quality to it. Sousuke had never heard her sound quite like that before.

"_Kazoe kirenai demo sukoshino saigetsu ha nagare_

_ittai kimi wo kotowo dorekurai wakatterunokana_

_yubisaki de chizu tadoru youniha umaku ikanaine_

_kizuiteiruyo fuan souna kao kakushiteru kurai…" _

"Oh. I really like this song. It's one of my favorites." Kaname opened her door, and then walked around to get into the back seat.

"It is? What is it called?" Sousuke followed suit, taking in the surrounding environment before entering the car. It was very dark and isolated here. It was probably the only place like this in the entire area. That made it potentially unsafe.

"'Hitomi no Jyuunin'.Living in your eyes. By L'arc-en-ciel" Kaname slid over some, resting her head on Sousuke's shoulder. "You smell nice, Sousuke. Is that the cologne I bought you last week?"

"Affirmative."

"_Isogi ashi no ashita heto teikou suruyouni_

_kake mayotte temo_

_fushigina kurai kono mune ha kimi wo egakuyo _

_miagereba kagayaki ha iroasezu afureteita_

_donna toki mo terashiteru_

_ano taiyou no youni naretanara …" _

"Uhhh… Kaname… are you comfortable?" Sousuke tensed up some. Kaname was leaning very heavily against him, moving around and trying to find just the right position.

"Yes, Sousuke." Kaname closed her eyes and tried to get her tangle of emotions in order. "I'm fine. How about you? You're shaking."

"No." Sousuke shook his head.

"Sousuke, you _are_ shaking." Kaname smiled. Big tough Specialist was afraid to admit he was shivering.

"I do not think so."

_"Mou sukoshidake kimi no nioi ni dakarete itaina_

_soto no kuuki ni kubiwa wo hikare_

_boku ha se wo muketa_

_shiroku nijinda tameiki ni shirasareru_

_toki wo kurikaeshigara futo omounosa_

_naze boku ha kokoni irundarou…" _

"Sousuke. You are shaking. Are you cold?"

"I don't think I am." Sousuke looked at Kaname. All he could see was a faint dark outline.

"If you are not cold, then why are you shaking?" Kaname stretched her neck and kissed him on the neck.

"I… Kaname… I don't know…"

"_Soba ni ite zutto kimi no egao wo mitsumeteitai_

_utsuriyuku shunkan ha sono hitomi ni sunde itai_

_dokomademo odayakana shikisai ni irodorareta_

_hitotsu no fuukeiga no naka yorisouyouni_

_toki wo tomete hoshii eien ni …" _

"Here, lets use all of the blankets," Kaname snuggled with Sousuke after they made the best use of the blankets.

Sousuke wondered why Kaname had blankets in her car at this time of year. He felt himself sweating. Kaname smelled particularly good. He never recalled a scent having that effect on him before.

"This is a very good song," Kaname said.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

The door didn't say anything.

Kaname hadn't actually expected that it would. Just the same, she almost felt as if it was staring at her, accusing her of sundry crimes and indiscretions.

Her boldness from the night before had vanished, even though much of her sense of wonder and satisfaction remained. It was all too easy to think about flaunting her father's rules when he was miles away. It was an entirely different story when he waited somewhere on the other side of that door.

She could stand there all day. Sooner or later, she had to go in. Lifting her chin, she turned the door handle, pushed the door open, and walked into the apartment. From the doorway, she had a good view of the couch. Her father was sitting there. He did not have his newspaper. There was no cup of coffee or tea by his hand.

"Good morning, Kaname." Shunya's voice was flat, but there was a definite touch of relief, and a sense of exhaustion. He had gotten precious little sleep.

"Daddy, I'm sorry." Kaname bit her lip. She fidgeted, moving her hands this way and that. It had been so easy thinking about what she wanted. Now, she had to realize the effect that it had on someone other than herself.

"You should be." Shunya didn't get up. He stared at Kaname, a look of disapproval on his face.

"I was irresponsible, Daddy. I _know_ that. I should have called." Kaname felt like she did as a young girl. She didn't want her father to think poorly of her. She knew that she had done something wrong. Last night, it didn't matter. Now it did.

"Yes. That goes without saying. You should have called. You live with your sister and myself, and we care about you. I shouldn't have to call the police at three o'clock in the morning. Don't make me call all of the local hospitals asking if they have someone matching your description." Shunya's hand trembled slightly, but he brought it under control with a conscious act of will.

"Daddy… I am so sorry… I'm really _really_ sorry." Kaname looked around the apartment. "Ayame?"

"She's still sleeping. She was up late last night too, even after I sent her to her room. She kept looking out from her doorway, to see if you'd made it back safely." Shunya ran a hand through his hair. "You called each of the other nights, and then you were home by the time we had agreed upon."

"Daddy… I…" Kaname felt her throat tighten.

"Kaname, I'm not asking you what you did." There was a catch in Shunya's voice. "I just want to know that you're alright."

"I'm fine, Daddy…" Kaname couldn't meet her father's eyes. Part of her felt like shouting 'I slept with him!' But, that defiant feeling was out of place.

"OK. I feel a little bit better. Now, is there something else that you want to tell me? For instance, where you were and why you didn't let us know?" Shunya set his jaw. He tried not to come across as judgmental and condemning.

"Last night… I…" Kaname froze. Why? It should be simple. 'Daddy, I slept with Sousuke'. Go ahead. _Say_ it.

"Kaname. I know that we don't often have heart to heart talks. But, I hope that you realize that you can talk tome about anything." Shunya meant what he said. Just the same, he felt as if he might have failed his daughter in some way. It was difficult being both father and mother. He was certain that if he did one job well, he must be making a mess of the other.

"I know that." Kaname felt the tight band around her heart loosen up just a bit.

Shunya sat quietly, waiting.

"I spent the night with him, Daddy." Kaname felt herself tense up again. She should feel relieved, not more stressed out, right?

"Sousuke?"

"Daddy… yes…" Kaname swallowed hard. "I'm so scared." She pushed the hair away from her face. "I'm scared to death what you must think of me."

"Why don't you sit down, Kaname." Shunya moved some cushions out of the way. He watched as Kaname walked over to the couch, seating herself hesitantly.

"Daddy… he's so wonderful…" The words burst out of Kaname, as if she had to justify what she did, and because she wanted so desperately to have her father understand her feelings. "Everyone used to look at him as if he was some kind of jerk or head case. They would laugh at him, or roll their eyes in amusement. He was someone that entertained them, or scared them." She spoke in a quieter voice. "At first, I thought that way too. He was a freak, someone who followed after me. I wished he would go away."

Shunya watched his daughter's face… her posture… everything.

"But he is so kind. I know that he kills people and blows things up, but he's so gentle. I know he can't say the same thing about _me!"_ Kaname tried to smile. "Sousuke cares so much. And it took me a long time to see that." She felt tears coming to her eyes. "I feel so safe around him."

Shunya nodded.

"I went through all of the different feelings I could have, before last night. I went through all of the possible arguments. I decided that it was best not to sleep with him, because I didn't want any problems." Kaname thought back to the time she had spent in her bed each night, trying to figure out what she wanted, and working her way through the way she might feel, and through the complications that might follow.

"Did he pressure you, then?" Shunya sat up straighter, his eyes narrowing. One of his hands twitched. "Did he get rough?"

"No." Kaname shook her head. "I… ummm… I put some blankets in the car, just in case. When we were at the park…" She looked away from her father. "I attacked him, Daddy." She couldn't help but grinning. Sousuke had been so clueless. She still remembered his trembling, before he began to give way to his emotions.

Shunya looked slightly alarmed for a moment. That certainly wasn't the way he would have expected things to have gone. Thinking back to his own youth, he sighed. He had not been the one to push the issue during his first time. Looking at Kaname, he could tell that his daughter was watching to see what his reaction would be.

"Did you take precautions?" Shunya asked.

Kaname nodded.


	9. nine

The gentle rolling motion of the deck welcomed him back to his second home.

Sousuke watched as the new Mithril-modified EH101 helicopter took off, on its way to bring some other SRT member back to Da Danaan. He wished that it were flying him back to Tokyo, even though he had been back on board the TDD-1 for less than fifteen minutes.

Natural light gave way to man-made illumination, as the huge ponderous light doors of the submarine began to close. To Sousuke, at that moment, it almost felt as if the lid on a coffin was swinging down or the door to a jail cell was sliding shut.

Walking past a row of F-35X STOVL aircraft, he thought about Kaname. He wouldn't tell her about that connection, as it would earn him a kick in the shins. But, he couldn't help thinking about time. The aircraft had been built from the original plans for the Joint Strike Fighter, with significant additions made possible by Black Technology. There had been a number of heated debates about replacing the staunch if unspectacular Harrier-derivatives with a plane that wasn't even slated to go into service with U.S. forces until 2008.

There were those that thought that the aircraft was being rushed into service way too soon. Why not take more time and see what warts the design might have, before making such a large commitment. Especially since the organization was in the process of rebuilding.

Staring at the racks of JDAM, JSOW, Paveway II, and AMRAAM weapons being wheeled out in preparation for the upcoming mission, Sousuke knew that his own story was quite the opposite. He had little time left with Kaname, and felt pressured to squeeze every bit of living into those days as was humanly possible. But, fate obviously didn't see things the same way. Otherwise, he wouldn't be headed to a briefing about the ongoing crisis in North Korea.

"Welcome back Sergeant!" One of the fighter pilots greeted Sousuke on the way to check out his plane.

"Godspeed…" Sousuke wished the man. He wondered what kind of life the other soldier had. Did he have a girlfriend somewhere? A wife? He sighed. Did he want all of that some day? Would he ever have it?

Making his way along the busy hangar area, Sousuke exchanged greeting with various people. There were many familiar faces, and no small number of new ones as well. He stopped and looked up, looking at one face in particular. At least, it looked like a face.

Crews were working on Arbalest. A large wheeled computer system was attached to the control panel by large high speed cables. Burly men operating well-worn equipment were in the process of arming the weapon systems.

Sousuke stared up at the ARX-7, feeling a rush of mixed emotions. If the stories he had heard from drunken crew members were true, many men lost their women to other men. Standing there, he almost felt as if Arbalest had stolen Kaname from him. He knew it was illogical. If anything, the A.S. had taken him away from Kaname.

Watching a number of soldiers tossing supplies aboard one of the Medium-lift helicopters, Sousuke thought back to that special night. Kaname had caught him entirely by surprise. That was a hard admission for a Specialist to make.

The way she had kissed him had started off different. It had been exciting, but he fought to maintain his composure. He had been so afraid that he would behave improperly and sour their relationship. There had been no reason to worry about that!

So much of the night was a blur. The way Kaname had pressed against him. The shock he felt when her tongue was in his mouth. The places where she had moved his hands. The noises that she made. The way that his needs grew. Her shirt coming off, followed by her bra. Fumbling at his pants. The awkwardness of that back seat.

He had been concerned that he was hurting her. He had been worried that the police might shine a light in her car. He had looked down, wishing more than anything that he could see her face. He had…

"_Whooo-hoo-hoo-o-o-o-o_, isn't that a sight for sore eyes." It was Kurz, walking over with Melissa.

"I always thought that your chasing after women was an act," Melissa said, impugning her teammate's manhood.

"I wasn't looking at Sousuke, Babe." Kurz was staring at Mao's rear end. _"Oooopppfff!"_

Melissa rammed an elbow into Kurz' gut. She didn't have to turn around to guess what he was doing.

"Are… are you…" Kurz fought to speak with the air knocked out of him. "Are you just going to stand there and let her do that to me?" He struck one of his standard poses. "Just what kind of friend are you, Sousuke?"

"If he's a smart one, he'd let you get what you deserve." Melissa frowned. She'd kill for a cigarette, but there were reasons for the 'No Smoking' signs spread about the area, especially with the jet fighters being fueled.

Sousuke stood mute, almost feeling annoyed by his friend's antics. He knew that wasn't fair. At first, he had consistently ignored that kind of horseplay. More recently, he had actually begun to enjoy it.

"Hey! Somebody forget to put the batteries in this thing?" Kurz looked Sousuke up and down. "Where's the damn 'on' switch?"

"Shut up, Weber!" Melissa reached over and picked up a large wrench used to work on the M9s. "Even a moron like you can guess why Sousuke might be upset."

Kurz settled down some. "Angel?" He nodded his head. "Not too much time left, and you're back here ready to see new lands and meet interesting people?" He leaned against a large Rescue Worker's cart, hooking his leg indolently over a roiled up fire-retardant blanket.

"Yes." Sousuke's answer was terse and angry.

"Oh. What happened? You two have a big fight or something?" Melissa kicked Kurz's leg, making him stand in a more dignified manner.

"No." Sousuke began walking again. He really didn't want to talk about things right then.

"Whoa! Wait up, man…" Kurz hurried to keep up. "Look on the bright side. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. When you get back, she'll probably grab you and drag you into the sack. _Oh yeh!"_

The usually sure-footed Sousuke stumbled ever so slightly as he made his way into the relatively narrow corridors of the sub.

"Maybe she already _has_…" Melissa's shrewd guess was right on target. Sousuke came close to running into an open door.

**"No way!** " Kurz said laughing. He stopped. _"Sousuke?"_

"I will admit to nothing of the sort." Sousuke felt a need to defend Kaname's honor. He was also in no mood to have such a seminal event dragged through the mud for his companions' amusement.

"Come on Sousuke. It's us." Melissa hurried to walk stride by stride with her youngest subordinate. She cursed when Kurz bulled his way past her, stopping in front of them both.

"Look at his face, Sis. He did the deed." Kurz' face blossomed with a huge smile, his eyes full of life. "Sousuke Sagara did the deed."

"Shut up, you asshole!" Melissa growled. "Keep it down. If Tessa hears…"

"If Tessa hears _what?"_

Everyone turned around. Teletha Testarossa had just stepped out of the Woman's wash room.

Sousuke froze.

"You'll never guess… _owwwwww." _Kurz went head first into the wall, dislodging a fire extinguisher.

"It's no big thing, jackass," Melissa spat out at Kurz. Looking at Tessa, she spoke in a more respectful tone of voice, even as she lied through her teeth. "So I almost walked into the hangar bay with a cigarette in my mouth. I forgot. So sue me." Her voice dropped an octave. "There are more dangerous things." That last statement was definitely for Kurz' benefit.

_"Melissa!"_ Tessa looked aghast. "This isn't the first time." She looked at her friend's face, wondering if something else was up. But, Lt. Mao didn't have her "I'm putting up a front and will tell you later' face on. She turned to Sousuke and smiled. "How's Kaname?"

Sousuke almost tripped again. Melissa smiled. Kurz immediately grabbed the opportunity to make Sousuke sweat.

"I bet she's _r-e-a-l_ fine," the sharpshooter said, stepping out of Mao's reach. "Right, Sousuke? I also bet that she's loud. Angel's always been a bit on the vocal side."

Tessa gave Kurz a quizzical look.

"Kaname is indeed fine," Sousuke said. "She is doing as well as one might expect, considering she will be leaving her home land soon. He was grateful that his voice hadn't cracked.

"I suppose it must all be hard on her," Tessa commiserated.

"Funny that you should mention hard on… shit that hurts!" Kurz doubled over in pain. Melissa had a rather satisfied look on her face.

"Like you, Kaname is a strong person. She too will do what she must." Sousuke said, adding "Shouldn't we all be headed to the briefing room now?" He walked along with Tessa, who didn't notice that Melissa was blocking Kurz' way.

If one were to view the dent in the side of the fire extinguisher, he or she might expect that Kurz Weber would tone things down a bit. They would be wrong. When he and Melissa joined Sousuke at the back of the meeting room, the lanky blonde was as full of life as ever.

"Sousuke my friend, you're an inspiration to men everywhere." Kurz grinned.

"I do not see why you are making such a big deal over things. Nothing has truly changed." Sousuke looked straight ahead. Lt. Mardukas and Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin had joined Tessa at the head of the room.

"Sousuke… Sousuke… Sousuke…" Kurz leaned back in his chair, carefree and in love with his life. "Listen to me. EVERYTHING has changed. No matter what you might think, nothing will be the same between you and Kaname."

_  
"Shhhh!" _Melissa tried to quiet Kurz without drawing to much attention to them all.

"Anytime you look at Kaname, you'll be thinking 'We had sex!' No matter what the two of you might be doing." Kurz grinned when a number of guys turned around to look at Sousuke.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke swallowed hard.

"Kurz, shut your f-cking trap!" Melissa spoke in a stage whisper.

"It might be next week. It might be four years from now. It might be when you're sixty years old." Kurz smiled. "Anytime you look at Angel, you'll be thinking 'We had sex!'"

**"KURZ!"**

Melissa closed her eyes and promised to kill her teammate later. Her shout would draw someone's attention.

"Lt. Mao, is the something we need to know about?" Kalinin looked in Melissa's direction.

Kurz nodded his head.

"If there _is,_ perhaps you can come up front and tell it to all of us." The Lt. Commander did not look amused.

Kurz began to stand up. He yelped. Sousuke had his combat knife out. The tip was sharp!

"It is nothing. I apologize, Sir!" Melissa sat back down when her commanding officer gave her leave.

Things calmed down after that. During the middle of the briefing, after the SRT's role had been described in detail, Melissa leaned over to speak to Sousuke. "You've got to do something special."

"Huh?" Sousuke looked puzzled.

"You need to make a statement. You need to show Kaname that you care. You need to show her that you still respect her." Melissa said.

"I do not understand…" Sousuke had no idea what Melissa was getting at.

"You should write her a letter. You should send her flowers." Melissa's look was intense.

"You should visit an Adult Book Shop. Get her some nice videos. Maybe some interesting new toys…" Kurz stopped. It was Mao's knife pricking him this time.

"Sousuke…" Melissa sounded very stern.

"Affirmative."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Tears fell on the paper, making growing circles of displaced ink.

Kaname put Sousuke's letter down. It was the most wonderful thing that she had ever read. There was no way that she could guess that a stupid peace of paper could make her feel this way.

The big idiot had asked the crew of a transport helicopter to bring the letter to Tokyo when they came. He had written it before he head to head out on his mission. His words were somewhat clumsy, but the emotions had been real enough to touch.

"Sousuke…."

A few moments later, Ayame came scampering into the room, excited. "Ka-na-_may-y-y-y-…. _The tickets to America came today…."

"Oh, Ayame? What?" Kaname wiped her eyes.

"It's the tickets," Ayame said. She looked at her sister's face, and then at her desk top. There was an opened letter there. "The plane tickets for New York City."

"OK." Kaname's total lack of anything resembling enthusiasm had Ayame perturbed. "What's that over there? A letter? From Sousuke?" She ran over to see.

"**Leave it alone!** " Kaname snapped at her sister. "Oh. _Sorry. _I'm just not in the mood right now." She sighed. "The letter's personal." Looking over at Ayame, she realized that she might do well to hide the letter away somewhere.

"I wonder of he'll get back before we have to leave?" Ayame asked. She flopped onto Kaname's bed and grabbed hold of Bonta-kun, hugging the worn plush doll to her tightly. "I hope so."

"Me too," Kaname said sadly. "He should. If he's OK." She nearly crumpled the letter accidentally when she clenched her fist. Sousuke's missions always left her innards tied in a knot. "We still have a few weeks."

"I can't wait to show you around the city again. I know it better than you do, now!" Ayame put her hands behind her head, laying back on the pillows. She began chattering happily about the things that she missed at home.

Ayame rambled on for a fair amount of time. Kaname found the words going in one ear and out the other. She never gave more than a sentence or two in response. At some point, when she looked up, her sister was gone.

When dinner time rolled around, Kaname was still in her room. A number of pieces of paper were speared about her desk, and crumpled up wads filled the trash bin. She had tried to write a suitable letter to Sousuke, but just couldn't find the perfect words.

"Kaname, it's time to eat." Shunya walked into Kaname's room. "It's one of your favorites. "Teppanyaki. Good Kobe beef. You won't have to worry about the price of meat like that when you're in America."

"Thank you, Daddy. But, I'm not hungry." Kaname looked outside of her window. She could see Sousuke's apartment building from her vantage point. Sighing, she thought about her old apartment, and the time that she had spent there.

"You need to eat something. You skipped lunch and barely touched your breakfast." Shunya followed his daughter's gaze. He took in the clutter on her desk, and the large number of crumpled paper wads that missed the garbage can. "I'm certain that the boy will be OK."

"His name is Sousuke," Kaname responded, absentmindedly, not purposely trying to be a smartass.

"I'm well aware of that, Kaname Chidori." Shunya frowned. He had taken to referring to Sousuke as 'that boy' after Kaname told him about her intimate encounter. He had tried to be understanding, but didn't want to foster any illusion of continuity with his daughter. Her leaving Japan was going to be difficult enough as it was. "Now, come join your family."

"Isn't that what I'm doing?" Kaname said, looking askance at the new luggage that her father had brought home to her earlier that afternoon. That time she was being blunt. "Maybe I shouldn't go, you know? If Mithril still has reason to exist, then that means there are plenty of crazies still running around."

"You're going. You gave your word." Shunya frowned. "This is a wonderful opportunity for your education. It will be a great opportunity for you and your family. We've already talked about safety issues. I will take care of that."

"But Daddy, what if it was you, when you were my age? What if it was the daughter of one of your friends?" Kaname brought up a good point, knowing in her heart that she was speaking from an entirely different motive. "Would you want to put your family at that kind of risk? Would you be comfortable telling your friend to do the same?"

"Families stick together in times of trouble." Shunya's voice was very firm. "I would have done whatever my father instructed me to do, no matter what my personal feelings were." His voice softened. "I really think that is best for you. In time, I'm certain that you will see things the same way."

"It just doesn't feel right to me. I appreciate the gift, but I really don't have the right luggage. And…"

"Kaname." Shunya's voice snapped like a whip. "This is nonsense. Let's stop this right now. You are thinking with your heart, not your head. The last time you moved to America, you screamed and cried and locked yourself I you room. When the time came to return to Japan, you didn't want to leave."

"But Daddy…."

"I knew that I shouldn't have allowed you to see too much of that boy. You are making things more difficult for yourself. You are also making things more difficult to me." Shunya put his hands behind his back. "Perhaps I should have done this earlier."

"What…."

"I do not want you to see Sousuke any more, Kaname. When he gets back, I want you to say your good byes, and let him know that you will be too busy preparing for your move." Shunya watched as Kaname clutched a letter to her chest.

"Daddy, this isn't fair. Why are you doing this? Is it because of the other morning?" Kaname wanted to scream. "I love him!"

"_Really?_ Is this your first love?" Shunya remembered what his guest had talked about at dinner the other night. He didn't want to come across as harsh or unfeeling, but he had to put things in perspective for his daughter. "Listen to me. I know that the two of you have been through a lot together. Recently, you shared the kind of moments that make it difficult to see the truth. But, what would the two of you have together once the danger ended, now that your shared experiences at High school are done?"

"Sousuke… he…"

"What happens after the excitement wears off, Kaname? What…" He paused. "Ayame, back to the kitchen, or to your room…" Shunya didn't need to turn. He heard his youngest child's footsteps moving way. "What will the two of you have to talk about? What will you have in common?"

"But, Daddy…"

"Kaname, you will be part of an international community at a high caliber prestigious University. He will be lugging a gun around shooting people." Shunya hoped that his daughter would see his point. The logic was unassailable. "It will be kindest to Sousuke if you break up with him when he gets back."

"I can't believe this. This is a nightmare." Kaname shook her head.

"You owe it to yourself to get on board the airplane with no attachments, no strings." Shunya placed his hand on Kanam'es shoulder and squeezed. "You've been through a lot of change I your life, pumpkin. Things would change, no matter where you went to college. People change. You will change."

"I _know,_ Daddy. Sousuke and I talked about that kind of thing." Kaname hung her head. "I can't believe that you are asking me to reject him." Kaname's own issues with rejection and abandonment were having their say.

"Kaname, I'm not asking you to simply forget him, or to break of all ties with him. It's only natural that the two of you will continue to care about one another. There is no reason that you can't write to him or speak to him on the phone sometimes."

"But I love him…"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

It would be hard to tell who was more shocked, Kaname or Sousuke.

As the rotor noise of the cloaked helicopter increased in volume, Sousuke had thrown his large duffel bag aside and run to where she waited, lifting her off the ground in a fierce hug.

Dust and light debris danced around hem, as the Mithril aircraft made its way skyward. Kaname pulled a few dried leaves out of her hair when Sousuke finally released his hold on her.

"I'm glad… I'm glad to see you're safe… Sousuke…" Kaname was truly happy about that. But, her heart weighed very heavy on her.

"Yes, I am too." Sousuke looked somehwhat shy for a moment. "I sent you a letter. I hope they remembered to deliver it to you."

"They did." Kaname had the letter in her purse.

"Really?" Sousuke looked at Kaname's face, a look of anticipation on his face. Hewasn't certain why he was feeling the way he did, but Kaname's reaction would be very important to him.

"Uh huh. It was wonderful." Kaname swallowed hard. She fought to hold back tears. This was going to be so hard, for the both of them. Sousuke's reactions were not making things any easier.

"I… I have never written a letter like that before…" Sousuke said.

"It was wonderful," Kaname repeated, not knowing what else to say.

"There were… uhhh… there were things that I wanted to tell you. I wasn't certain how one should say such things. I did the best that I could. However… I was not able to… there was something else that I wanted to tell you…" Sousuke looked very intense. He was pressured to speak. One thing had been on his mind during the entire flight back.

"You… we… we don't have to say it." Kaname looked away from Sousuke.

"Kaname? How do you know what I have to tell you?" Sousuke rubbed the back of his neck. He stopped, standing straight with his hands at his sides.

"I'm not sure what you are going to say, Sousuke… but I think that…" Kaname's throat felt like it was closing up. She couldn't hgelp herself. She had to look at Sousuke's face.

"I was just going to tell you that I love you, Kaname. There. I have said it." Sousuke looked relieved. It was almost as if he was afraid that he would burst into flame or turn into a pillar of salt.

"Yes. I see. Maybe we shouldn't be putting things on this level." Kaname wanted to pull her hair out. That was exactly the level she wanted to put things at.

"What? It is a good level, is it not?" Sousuke looked hurt. Kaname's response was definitely what he had expected, or what he had wanted.

"Sousuke… I… how can I look at you and say this?" Kaname clenched her fists. She bumped one against her hip.

"Say what?" Sousuke leaned over to kiss Kaname. He frowned when she moved her face away.

"It's… I… we probably shouldn't see each other any more." That had been harder for Kaname to say than Sousuke's profession of love had been for him.

"But… Kaname… what is wrong…"

"I really need to get ready for my move Sousuke. There is so much to do. I've received an advanced syllabus, and should start studying some, too." Kaname hated to lie. She especially hated lying to Sousuke like this. Everything sounded so lame. But, no matter how long she had thought about things, she couldn't find the right words for this.

"You need to study?" Sousuke looked dumbstruck.

"Yes, I do." Kaname said.

"I see. How much time do you need? I know… it is no surprise that you will be leaving soon… it's just that…" Sousuke looked flustered. That was something that Kaname hadn't seen for a while.

"Uh huh."

"Well. I suppose it is good to know this." Sousuke's face fell.

The sight almost broke Kaname's heart into even smaller pieces. But she had promised her father to do this. "Yeh."

"Kaname. What did we just decide?" Sousuke asked.

"We decided..." Kaname couldn't get the words out.

"I am worried, Kaname. It sounds like this is the last I will see of you. I had thought…" Sousuke ran a hand through his hair. There were still a few small flecks of dried blood there, even after a shower.

"I'm sorry, Sousuke." Kaname's voice cracked. "We can still be friends, can't we?"

"Yes… but if I am your friend… why will you…"

"This is best, Sousuke." Kaname wished that she could believe those words.

"I… you have had time to think…" Sousuke nodded his head. "Perhaps you have decided that I am a jerk and a moron after all." He looked down at his feet. "I allowed you to compromise your honor that night."

"No…"

"I should not have given in. I have shamed you. You must really think poorly of me. Especially after I had always promised to protect you." Sousuke opened and closed his hand. His hair was blown about bys strong gusts of wind. The swirling dust and dirt was not the cause of his closing his eyes.

"Sousuke, _no! _Don't say that. We shared the most intimate thing that two people can share." Kaname held her hands out for a moment, and then brought them back to her side.

"You shared them with a weak man, Kaname." Sousuke looked over at his bag. "Perhaps I should not have come back."

"I shared myself with the man that means the most to me, Sousuke." Kaname had to put the brakes on. If she didn't, she'd break down and run to him. "And I'm glad you came back. I have so much to thank you for."

"It is not necessary, Kaname. I did my duty. Later, I followed my heart." Sousuke looked away.

"Thank you, Sousuke."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Getting into her car, Kaname began sobbing.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She put her face in her hands, but the the wracking shake of her body wouldn't stop.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The sun had begun setting hours ago. Sousuke walked alone, his bag nestled against his back. He was walking nowhere in particular. He simply felt the need to walk.

For the first time that he could remember, he had been crying.


	10. ten

"Urzu 7, are you there. Do you read?"

Sousuke sat in his room. All the lights were off. Sunlight had begun peaking through a broken slat in his blinds.

"Urzu 7, what is your situation. The channel is open. Do you copy?"

He stared at the communications console. The blinking lights seemed to blur and then come into focus again. After wiping away a stray tear, he could see perfectly again. But, what was the point?

"Urzu 7, contact was initiated on your end. If you do not request otherwise, we will radio for assistance on site. Urzu 7, come in."

Sousuke stood up. He stretched and then worked on a kink in his neck. As much as he might be hurting, that was _his_ problem. There was no reason to inconvenience others.

"This is Urzu 7. I read you. Status green. I repeat green. There is no emergency and no imminent danger. Please connect me to Urzu 2 or Urzu 6."

"Roger Urzu 7." The communications officer muted the line. When a voice spoke again. It was Melissa. "Sousuke, is there something wrong?"

"I…it… apologies… this is improper use of military equipment." Sousuke stated. "It is nothing that I cannot handle… there is no need to burden you with this…"

"_F-ck _that." Melissa spoke firmly. "We're a team, Sousuke. If I had a problem… and you could help me… I would know just what to expect. I hope you understand by now, it goes both ways."

"I… it… affirmative." Sousuke was quiet for a moment. He could hear the sound of a garbage truck down the street. "My mind is somewhat clouded… I have not gotten any sleep… I walked for hours."

"**Shit! **I was afraid of something like this. Why do I have to right… all… the… f-cking… time!" There was a pause. "OK, Sousuke. Let's start from the beginning. Tell me what's wrong? Is it something about Kaname?" Melissa's voice said that she already knew the answer.

"Yes." Sousuke paused. For a moment, he thought back to Hong Kong. He had left the school, almost certain that he would never return. He had not told Kaname. He had not even left her a note. Was this all that different? "To be succinct, Kaname met me when I landed. She indicated that she had read my letter. I informed her… I told her that I love her." He looked up at the ceiling. "She also said that the meeting would be the last that I see of her."

"**Damn it! **OK, listen up and pay attention, Sousuke. It will be alright. Trust me. It may hurt _real_ bad for a while, but it will get better." Melissa spoke quietly, a rarity for her. "Maybe a clean break like this will heal better."

"It is foolish. I understand that. Kaname will be departing in a few weeks, regardless. But it… I did not know what to do… it was difficult to think…… I was crying…" Sousuke felt no shame in making that admission. "I tried to think of some way that she could stay… but it is not my decision…" He walked over to the window and looked outside. "This is difficult…"

"I'll talk to Tessa. We'll arrange for you to come back tonight, or tomorrow at the latest. But, you won't have to make any kind of major decision o this trip. I'll make sure of that." Melissa knew that Sousuke as a soldier would be reassigned, now that his assignment was over. But, he was in no condition to make any choices like that now.

"Thank you."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The wind blew a mist of rain under the roof of the balcony.

Kaname looked off into the distance, almost oblivious to the way her hair stuck to the side of her neck. She wondered what Sousuke was doing. It was something that she had done before when he was away on missions. How long would she do it now?

"Be well, Sousuke…" She whispered. "I love you too…" Why couldn't she have told him that? Three simple words. She had said 'I' to him many times. "She had used 'you' more times than anyone could count. She had used the word 'love' as well. So, why wasn't she able to put them together, one after the other, in the proper order?

The crash of thunder off in the distance reminded her of explosions. Explosions reminded her of Sousuke. It was amazing how many things did that now that she would never see him again.

"Maybe he can visit me." she told herself. "Maybe I can come back to Tokyo on break."

Those were nice fantasies. But, if she wasn't in Tokyo, there was no reason for Sousuke to stay there. Regardless, she hoped that he would decide to go to college somewhere, taking Mithril up on their offer. If he went back to that submarine full time, he would see more missions. More missions meant a greater chance of being wounded. If he was in situations where he could be wounded, he would be in places where he could be killed.

""It's not my fault…"

If she had followed through on her original plan, attending Tokyo University at the Komaba Campus, Sousuke could have stayed with her, whether or not he matriculated. He wouldn't be caught up in nearly as many dangerous missions. Her father and sister wouldn't be in danger because of her. She herself would be safer.

The rain was falling harder now. Kaname watches as the raindrops struck the balcony railing, splashing water this way and that, depending on which way the wind gusts were blowing. It was almost hypnotic. Before she knew it, she was thinking back over the times that she and Sousuke had shared. She spent a lot of time reliving the intimacy they had shared.

It was hard to believe that they had done that. She had always been the idol at school, the girl that everyone might admire, but no one wanted as a girlfriend. It was Sousuke who came to see her as something different. He had been the otaku that everyone laughed at or avoided, the boy that left his classmates in stitches literally. She had been the one to change that.

Was she wrong to do what she had done in the car that night? She really _did_ care about Sousuke. She was certain that he cared about her. There was no one else that she would have wanted to be her first true love. So, no regrets. No, that wasn't true. Their moment of discovery should have been the start of something, not the end.

"Kaname, what are you doing outside. You're soaking wet. Come in before you catch your death of cold." Her father stood at the door leading out to the balcony.

"If you're going to stay out here, you can use my umbrella." Ayame held a folded parasol decorated in a Bonta-kun motif.

Kaname didn't answer. She stood staring off into the distance. The rain water on her face helped disguise her tears.

"Kaname… the _umbrella_…." Ayame opened it up and held it out. She looked up at her father when Kaname didn't move.

"Let's go inside now, Ayame." Shunya took one last look at Kaname before heading back inside. He hung his head, thinking of his wife Shizu. He didn't want to lose his daughter too. But, he had to do what was best for her in the long run, even if it meant hurting her now. He had to do what was best for the family, even if it meant using methods that he wasn't proud of.

The thunder came again, much louder this time. The sheer strength of the concussion rattled the windows.

Kaname sighed. Thunder reminded her of explosions.

Explosions reminded her of Sosuke.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The walkway overlooking the hangar deck was lined by soldiers.

Standing, sitting with their legs dangling between the railings, or sitting against the sidewall, the SRT members, support crew, and aviators were exclusively male. Those that weren't on call were drunk to the last man.

This was an important occasion. It was cause for celebration that the TDD-1 had pulled back into dock. But, it was more than that. This was for Sousuke Sagara, blooded member of the Tuatha Da Danaan's Special Response Team, and victim of love.

"You should have known that the relationship was doomed," Lt. Valkovic waved a bottle of "Putin" vodka above his head, and then sloshed some into Souske's glass. "You would have been better off with a good Lithuanian male-order bride."

"Yes." Sousuke was not one to drink. As such, he had no ability to hold his liquor.

"**Shit! **The girl broke up with you after you poured your heart out in a letter?" Chief Petty Officer Rohrbaugh looked up from his game of Cribbage. _"Women!"_

"Yes." Sousuke tipped his glass up, spilling more than he drank.

"No babe is worth it, man. Hang with us Sergeant, and we'll teach you what you need to know." Ensign Ramirez, one of the Weapons Officers aboard ship, worked with a pair of small free weights.

"Yes." Sousuke answered. He was in no condition to think. That answer was good enough for everything.

"Right. You can't trust them. You know _why? _They spend your money, and they tell their friends everything, man." Ordinance Technician Smithers grabbed for Lt. Valkovic's bottle and missed.

"I will tell you what will help," Sgt. Estrella said with a wicked grin. "You need to find a girl who looks just like her…nail her… and then dump her. It will get her off your mind."

"Uhhh…" Sousuke wasn't so drunk that he would answer _that _one 'Yes'.

"That girl was nothing but a show pony. You're a stallion." Chief Engineer Geveden said. "You walk with us, and you'll walk tall. You hang in there. Keep your head up. You're a damn good man. Don't ever let a woman bring you down." Geveden slapped Sousuke on the back. "I've got to take my leave. I'm up for engine room watch."

"Yes" Sousuke said, saluting. Was that someone he was supposed to salute? It didn't matter.

"Sure you don't want a drink, Chief?" Valkovic held the bottle up. "None of _us_ will tell." He shrugged when the Engineer grunted and left.

"Bitches, man!" Ensign DeAngelo said. He was one of the men who needed to abstain from the libations. He had to content himself with the food that the cooks snuck out of the galley. "Where'd she dump you, man?"

"Yes." Sousuke was stuck on that word.

"Shit. You sound like you need more to drink," De Angelo said. "Where did that girl dump you, man?"

"When I got off the helicopter." Sousuke braced himself with his arm against the railing. "Flew out to see her. Told her I love her. Before she went away."

"Bitches!" Sgt. Yan said, cradling a bottle of Chinese wine, a bitter drink that none of the other men would touch. _"Baht po!"_

Everyone stopped whatever they were doing to look at the diminutive Arm Slave Pilot. No one could remembering Yan drinking a single drop of alcohol in the past.

"You never had a chance with a girl like that," Supply Officer Schemmann said, wishing _he_ had a chance with a girl like that. "Better to learn that sooner than later!"

"I have been in love a number of times. I got hurt really bad. I _never_ wanna go through that again. Don't cross the stream to find water, right?" Master Machinist Jorgensen frowned, looking down at his drink. "Need more to drink, Sergeant?"

"Yes." Sousuke said. He looked down at his drink. Somehow it always seemed full.

"**Hey! **You guys are all bringing me down!" Sgt. Wailer claimed. "C'mon, we should cheer the boy up, not bring everyone else down." He took the drink from Sousuke's hand and placed it on the floor.

"Shut up man." Lt. Valkovic put his arm around Sousuke's shoulders. "We're going to find him a girl. We're going to find him a woman. We're going to find him one hot-lipped _shliundra."_

"Uhhh…" Sousuke thought about Kaname. He pictured her face. She wouldn't like it if he found a hot-lipped whatever, would she?

"I'm certain a bunch of us could arrange for leave at the same time," Kurz walked up, sober. "I know that some of you gentleman have found some very nice spots."

"_Ahhh_… the girls in windows on the street right next to Gare Du Nord in Brussels," one seaman said.

"Cruising the Castellana in Madrid… _mmm_, yes…" Sgt. Estrella sighed, reminiscing.

"Walletjes, Singel, and de Pijp. Amsterdam's Red Light Districts. Half naked young women standing in the storefronts, revealing their assets." Jorgensen added. "Good _Stroopwaffels, _too!"

"Tel Aviv, the brothel capital of the world," Ensign DeAngelo said. "Temporary wives in Iran. And who hasn't heard about Thailand?"

"Have you been to any of those places?" Sgt Estrella said with a knowing smile.

"Well… no… at least not yet…" De Angelo admitted. He frowned when some of the seamen laughed at him.

Kurz walked over to Sousuke, a serious look on his face. He helped his friend to stand. "Well, it looks like there are plenty of places you can find a woman. Is that what you want?" While Kurz was more talk than action, he had been through his share of drunken indiscretions after his girlfriend ran off with her doctor. He wouldn't wish that on his friend, no matter how many times he had joked about things in the past.

"Uhhh… I…" Sousuke shook his head.

"It doesn't have to be prostitutes, you know. I'm certain you can find women eager for a night or two with someone like you." Kurz added. "It's a mercenary soldier's appeal. _Right, _guys?"

"**Hell yeh!**" A number of people answered at once.

"I do not think I will meet someone like Kaname Chidori I those places." Sousuke felt numb. He looked at Kurz. "I don't know why she would not see me again. I want to know what my words meant to her. I need to know how she felt about me." Sousuke felt a sudden burst of anger. "She won't talk to me any more. She won't look at me any more. _Why?" _he threw a glass against the wall.

"Whoa man…what's happening to you?" Schemmann asked.

"Hey, you're freaking out, mon. Take it easy." Sgt. Wailer walked over to stand near Sousuke. SRT members were a tight knit group, and even the newer members looked after the others.

"You've _gotta_ get her out of your head, guy." Jorgensen asserted.

"Listen. I can set you up with any girl at the base. Just look at the directory and name a babe. I'll set you up with her." Sgt. Estrella was dead serious. That was his way of helping. It worked for him.

"Kaname Chidori." Sousuke said firmly.

Estrella shrugged. Wailer looked at Kurz who nodded his head. Valkovic, on his third bottle, walked over to join the group. It was time to bring Sousuke back to his cabin and start sobering him up.

There was a loud sound of metal on metal. Someone had swung one of the large Arm Slave diagnostic probes against the wall. When everyone looked down from their elevated perch, they saw Melissa Mao glaring up at them.

"What a bunch of pathetic assholes," Melissa said, making it a point to single out Kurz and give him a flippant wave of her hand. "We return from patrol, and you bastards break out the booze."

"But… we're officially off duty for now… and…" One of the younger seamen stammered, worried that they had been busted. He had been diligent. He had checked the duty roster.

"You guys are in deep shit!" Melissa asserted. "Someone forgot to invite _me." _

"I was just about to," Kurz called down. "I was going to send Valkovic over to piss on your cabin door." Kurz thumbed his nose at Melissa. "But, you probably would have pulled him into the room and had your way with him."

"_Tu avigalvi!"_ Lt. Valkovic shook a fist at Kurz.

"Bitches!" Yan had regained consciousness long enough to call out that word.

Melissa marched up the long flight of metal stairs, pushed her way past a number of seamen, and made her way to Kurz. "Is this what you call taking care of Sousuke?"

"Relax, Sis. Don't get your knickers in a knot." Kurz didn't smile his usual insolent smile. Oh. We're in port now. You're probably not wearing any."

"No knickers…" Sousuke muttered.

"**Shit!**" Melissa looked at Sousuke and sighed. She had been in a similar situation numerous times. Heart-broken and drunk. She hoped that her young teammate wouldn't give up on the idea of love like she had.

"Our boy's a man now, Babe." Kurz said. "And, he's a full on bonded member of the crew after this." He obviously thought that was a good thing in its own right. "He has a right to make his own decisions."

"_Really? _I don't think that dragging his ass on some f-cking cargo plane and flying him out to some gang bang house is what he needs, _do_ you?" Melissa sounded fiercely protective.

"It doesn't matter what I think. It doesn't matter what you think. It matters what _he_ thinks." Kurz grabbed hold of Sousuke's sleeve, just in time to keep him from backing up and tumbling down the stairs. "He's heard the guys talk. He talked with you before he began drinking. He knows what options he has. He needs to decide what he wants."

"Kaname…." Sousuke shook his head. He was tried to regain his sobriety through force of will. It didn't work.

"Damn. I don't like it when you start making sense," Melissa said. "Especially when I'm not drunk when that happens." She cursed when she looked at Sousuke. "After I talk with him some more, it's your job to clean him up. We're not the only ones who want to talk with him. The word about his dumping will be everywhere with so many drunken shit heads wandering around."

"I was kind of afraid of that…" Kurz looked somewhat sheepish, even though the drinking hadn't been his idea.

"Tessa may want to speak with him. Kalinin, too." Melissa wrinkled up her nose. "Maybe even Mardukas."

"Shit…" Sousuke flinched.

Melissa pulled Sousuke aside. "How are you holding out?"

"It is not a problem," Sousuke said. "No. It _is_ a problem. I should not have done this." He pulled at his uniform shirt. It was still wet with alcohol. "I need to be stronger…"

"It's OK. Don't knock yourself around because of this. We've all been through this, even Clouzot. You can bet that Kalinin has, too." Melissa knew how much Sousuke respected those two men. "Hell, I even saw Tessa down a couple of Martinis once." She was not going to tell him who she was crying over.

"No. My assault on the world begins now. Believe in myself. Answer to no one…" Sousuke set his jaw.

"You mean like before?" Melissa asked.

"It… uhhh…" Sousuke ran a hand through his head.

"I know how much the girl means to you, Sousuke. I can guess how much you're hurting. She's probably hurting just as much. Maybe even more, because she had to be the one who pulled the plug." Melissa watched as the truth of that statement hit her friend.

"But…"

"You gave her a lot. Don't ever think that you didn't. But, she gave you something too." Melissa scowled. She had an audience. The other members of the SRT were listening in. All except a snoring Sgt. Yan. They quickly looked away or pretended to gather up their things. "You're a better man than you were before. I want you to think about that. If you _don't_, I'm going to kick Kurz' ass until my foot hurts."

Kurz opened his mouth to make one of his usual comebacks, but decided to remain quiet.

"I… uhhh…" Sousuke set his jaw. He looked defiant.

"Kurz, get your ass over here." Melissa spoke as if she were giving an order. Kurz walked over with some trepidation. Melissa would do anything to help Sousuke.

Sousuke looked over at Kurz. He saw his teammate give him a pleading look. "It might make him a better man…"

Melissa smiled. "I don't think anything will do _that." _

"That's right, Babe. You can't improve on perfection. Oh yeh!" Kurz struck a runway pose.

"Crap…" Sousuke muttered loud enough for the SRT group to hear. Everyone but Kurz chuckled or laughed.

"I think the boy's going to be alright," Valkovic said, tapping his last bottle against Estrella's glass.

"Yes, I believe so." Estrella winked at Sousuke. "If he wants, I can still get him a girl." He blew Melissa a kiss when she gave him a nasty look.

"No. You can't improve on perfection…" Sousuke sighed, thinking about Kaname again.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"The tea is almost ready."

Tessa worked to fix tea for Sousuke, thinking back to a time when she had done the same thing for Kaname. It was ironic, really. Back then, she had her heart set on him, and had hinted that she and Sousuke had a relationship that was closer than Captain and subordinate. Kaname had realized her feelings later than she had, but won the prize any way.

She thought back to the _Pacific Christmas _mission. She remembered the way that she had felt around Sousuke. She had come out and asked him something, dreading to hear the answer she thought would be coming.

'_Sagara-san'_

'Yes, ma'am' 

'_Do you love Kaname-san?'_

'I believe it is affirmative to say so.'

'More than me?'

'Yes.'

"You show great skill in its making, Captain." Sousuke had showered and put on a clean uniform. He had a bit of a headache, but was otherwise no worse for wear.

"Would you like a biscuit with it? A biscotti?" Tessa waved her hand towards a plate on the corner of the table.

"No. I am not hungry… Tessa." He chose to make that distinction. She had not asked him here as a crew member aboard the TDD-1. She had asked him here as a friend.

Tessa smiled. She played with her ponytail, sighed, and decided to put things in the right perspective. "I guess it's no surprise how I feel about you, Sousuke. I mean… _you_ _know_… my wishing you were more than just my friend."

Tessa was only human. When she had first heard that Kaname would be going to America, she had felt a strong sense of hope. She had fantasized about a relationship with Sousuke, wanting what most girls her age had, or at least had a chance for. But, it was all too easy to think what Sousuke must be feeling.

"I… yes…" Sousuke looked over at the boiling teapot, not at Tessa. She was a wonderful girl, too. But, she was not Kaname.

"I suppose it would be easy for me to tell you just to forget about Kaname. It would be no trouble for me to offer you advice that might make me more hopeful." She blushed and took a few bite of a jam-smeared biscuit. "But, I wouldn't do that to you."

"I'm glad to hear that, Tessa." Sousuke meant that. Tessa had once been an infallible goddess in his eyes. When he found that she was not, he realized that she could be his friend. Her honesty raised his opinion of her higher than before. "If I had never met her…" He didn't have to complete that thought. "But, if I hadn't, I might not be capable of feeling at all."

"I know," Tessa said. She had come to that conclusion before. Truth be told, she was happier with Sousuke being more human than before. That was what was best for him. What good would it have done either of them, having a timid young woman in love with a troubled and emotionless combat soldier?

The two were silent for a short while. When the tea was ready, Tessa poured for them both. "Milk? Sugar? Lemon?" Tessa asked. When Sousuke shook his head and said 'No thank you,' she tugged on her hair a bit and spoke again. "You understand why Mithril isn't willing to set you up overseas? You don't hold any resentment for that, I hope."

"The Atlantic Branch is faced with different enemies. The forces of the United States have begun to incorporate Black Technology into their sovereign forces, and they are capable of facing the threats that arise in their general vcinity." Sousuke took a sip of tea. "I am not upset with the High Council. Their decisions are well thought out."

"Yes. Arbalest is needed in the Pacific," Tessa said. "If it were otherwise…" Tessa looked over at Sousuke. Her face said it all. She was glad Sousuke was still a part of her crew. She shivered a moment, thinking back to her meeting with a number of her countrymen who were part of the Mithril Hierarchy.

Sousuke had gone along as her bodyguard. They had met former US Navy Fleet Admiral Jerome Border, a man inclined to wear aloha shirts and guffaw in an annoying manner . Former US Navy Vice Admiral Kevin Skyray had been like a fifty-year old Kurz Weber, asking her 'Tessa, would you want to experience a dangerous love affair with me?' They had been joined by former US Marine Corps Lt. Colonel J.G. Courtney, a man who cursed even more than Melissa and used the words "f-ck" and "f-cking" as an adjective to everything. Former US Navy Captain Roy Seals had been a lecher, and Former US Navy Rear Admiral Thomas Ross had exclaimed 'Tessa! Here! You've gotta look at the tatoo I have engraved on my butt!'

She remembered talking with Sousuke after that ordeal.

'_When I first met them, I thought it would be an honor to meet such war veterans. I had no idea that they were just a bunch of Yankee old geezers.'_

'But ma'am, you are an American too.'

'I'm from the traditional and strict upper East Coast! Don't you dare associate me with those West Coast idiots whose brains have palm trees sticking out of them!' 

Smiling a quick smile, she admonished herself. They may have been menborn and raised an era when sexually harassing women seemed like a complimentary thing to do, but they were also seasoned veterans with a firm grasp on the world picture. Even though they were staunch patriots, they did not put Mithril's best weapons in their own neck of the woods.

"I have accumulated a large amount of money." Sousuke ran his hand through his hair. He remembered the days he would often have bumps on his scalp, courtesy of Kaname's halisen. "But, I would not be able to gain entrance to an American college on my own with my grades."

"Sometimes money can work wonders, Sousuke." Tessa brushed some crumbs off of her blouse. "But, it often doesn't work without some kind of political weight behind it." Tessa had ample evidence of that, well aware of the amount of money that Mithril had paid to keep Sousuke at school.

"I see," Sousuke said.

"Melissa told me what happened," Tessa said, squeezing some lemon into her tea. "Have you tried to call Kaname?"

"Yes," Sousuke replied, looking down at his cup. "Five times. No one took the call. All of the messages I left have gone unanswered."

"Maybe you should keep on calling," Tessa offered.

"Five times is a lot, Tessa. If it takes that many shots to hit the target, one should move the target closer or stop shooting for the day." Only Sousuke would equate love with a shooting range.

"Perhaps, when you go back to pack up your apartment, you can stop by her home." Tessa had wanted to say 'If you have a thing for Whispered, perhaps it's best to give your affections to girl who makes her own decisions'.

"Negative," Sousuke said firmly. "I… they…" He shook his head.

"I think you need to know what Kaname is going through. No, you should think about what they are all going through. She is still Whispered. You can't understand what that is like, unless you are Whispered yourself." Tessa pulled at her hair again but stopped. "That raises a lot of difficult issues for her father, especially since he has already lost one person dear to him." She thought a quick prayer on Ayame Chidori's behalf. Hopefully she wouldn't turn out to be Whispered too. An image of Leonard appeared in her mind, unwanted.

"Yes… but…"

"Sousuke, you didn't grow up in your homeland. But, you should still try to understand that society." Tessa hoped she didn't sound like she was giving a lecture. But, it never hurt to be well-informed. Knowledge of a society's family system is essential to understanding that society. "In Japan, the family rather than the individual is considered to be the basic unit of society. Family responsibilities take precedence over individual desires, and familial relations provide the model for social integration at all levels. Furthermore, the family plays an important role in determining individual life chances. The Japanese also assume that growing up in an intact household promotes mature character development."

"Kaname lost her mother…"

"Yes. That would be hard enough for _anyone. _But, in Japan, all other things being equal, employers generally prefer to hire a person raised in a two-parent household. That's not the way it is in America, in case she decided to stay there after school." Tessa took a sip of tea and then wiped her mouth on a napkin. "The family continues to play a central role in Japanese society today. The modern family is not the same as the traditional family, and neither are identical to the American family."

Sousuke picked up his cup, but put it back down without drinking.

"It's difficult to know what her father might think. The Japanese family has been in transition, and fathers often base their behavior on what they saw as children." Tessa tapped her fingernails against her plate. "It might be that he is a many who views extreme individualism with alarm, blaming such things for the social problems that America is faced with. That might have made it very difficult for him to allow her to stay in Japan by herself, even if he were one of those Japanese men who spend little time with their children. It would be ironic wants her to come live in the States with him, if he was worried about such things."

"I see," Sousuke said. "You are very wise, Tessa."

Tessa blushed. "It's OK you think that, Sousuke." She nibbled at a biscotti. "Although, most girls would prefer being thought of as pretty." She felt her face growing even warmer. Why did she say _that!_

"You are very attractive, Tessa." Sousuke could say that to 'Tessa' now. He would not have been able to say it to 'Captain Testarossa'. "Women are allowed to have more than one good quality, are they not? Despite what some of the men told me…"

"Oh," Tessa exclaimed, reacting to the first part of Sousuke's reply. She then looked somewhat cross. "Don't go believing everything you hear, Sergeant!" She didn't want him picking up too much stuff from the hard-earned crew of Da Danaan. Kurz Weber was bad enough.

"I see… so you do not want to hear what some of them had to say about you?" Sousuke was not being clueless. He knew that was a good way to tease Tessa.

"_What?" _Tessa dropped her biscotti. It bounced onto the floor. "Absolutely not!"

"You are very wise, indeed."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The phone stopped ringing.

Kaname stared at a liquid crystal display. The caller I.D. had shown 'Unavailable', so she didn't pick up and answer.

Looking at the answering machine, she saw the 'record light' begin flashing. Sousuke's voice came through the small speaker next to the light. "Hello. This is Sousuke Sagara. The call is for Kaname Chidori. This is my sixth and final call…"

Kaname looked over at her father. He frowned, but nodded his head. "Answer if you like."

"I just wanted to say that I have thought about many things. I will say something. I wish I could stop you from going, but I cannot. Whatever is best for you will be best for me. But, I would like to see you again before you leave. If your father is there, I will pass along a greeting to him. Your sister, too..."

"The name is Ayame. _Hmmmpppfff!" _Ayame scowled at the machine.

Kaname was too distracted to notice her sister's adoption of her traditional utterance. "If I pick it up… I'll want to see him again… and it will only make it harder to leave." Kaname looked torn.

"Well then, don't pick it up. You know what's best." Shunya walked out of the room, allowing his daughter some privacy. "Ayame, you have some packing to do."

Sousuke continued talking. Kaname stood rubbing her fingers together. She didn't know the message capacity of the machine. It might cut off soon.

"It is strange. The time we spent together. It almost seems like the mirages I remember from Afghanistan. I do not know why. One thing I know, my feelings have not vanished. So, if you do not wish to speak to me, I will understand, but I will also ask you to rip up the letter I sent you. Alternatively, you may apply flame, acid, or various other destructive agents. It hurts me to know that the letter still exists."

Kaname hurried to pick the phone up. "Hello? Sousuke?" She was too late.

He had already hung up.


	11. eleven

Kaname pushed down hard on her suitcase.

She had added her Bonta-Kun last of all, and now it was hard to get the dam case to zip up.

As she leaned with all her weight, she heard the phone ring. Could it be Sousuke? He hadn't left any more messages after that last one. Not intending to lose another chance to tell him how she felt, she slid across the top of the bed and picked up her phone. Her father had picked up at the same time that she did. He didn't seem to realize that she was on the line. Whenever he did, he would always say _'Ka… naaa… meee…' _

"Hello. Chidori residence."

"Is this Mr. Shunya Chidori, father of Kaname Chidori?" The voice was male, probably mid thirties.

"Who is this, please?" Shunya was wary of speaking to anyone who did not identify themselves right away.

"Oh. Yes. Sorry. This is James Sherwood, I'm with the Cornell University Undergraduate Admissions Office. I also do work for the President of the University and the Board of Trustees. You have had the pleasure to meet with all of them, so I understand."

"That…" Shunya coughed.

"This has nothing to do with that rather generous donation you made to the University." The man's voice had just a slight sly ring to it. "I am not calling about your gracious assistance in setting up a Model United Nations, although we all appreciate how you used your connections to make that a reality."

"These things should not be…" Kaname's father sounded agitated, if not somewhat concerned.

"You don't have to worry Mr. Chidori. I can assure you that all parties have been extremely discrete. The reason that I am calling today… and I apologize if it's late there… is to inform you that the Common Application submitted by your daughter has been processed, but a Cornell Supplement, which is required of all applicants, needs to be picked up immediately upon your daughter's arrival in this country."

"We will be certain to see to that promptly, Mr. Sherwood. There were some papers that I received that I thought were extraneous in my daughter's case." Shunya sounded more relaxed.

"Those may have been the Supplement, Sir. It consists of a _Part 1 _form, the Cornell Essays form, and the Cornell Essays form _2E_ for applicants planning to apply for financial aid. I can see where the confusion might have arisen. You obviously do _not_ need to fill out 2E. But, we will need an essay on file as soon as possible."

"It will be taken care of, Mr. Sherwood. I can assure you of that. I thank you for your call."

When Kaname put the phone down, she noticed that her hands were trembling. Why would have father made a contribution to the college? What had he done to help the college set up the Model UN? Was there some reason why her father was hesitant to talk about such issues in the open? She had her suspicions. Maybe she was paranoid. It could be that Sousuke had rubbed off on her. If she was wrong, she could always apologize. But if she was _right_…

When she walked forcefully into the living room, she found her father straightening out the pillows on the couch. Suddenly, her bravado begin to fade, but she told herself that she had to do this.

"Kaname, is something wrong?" Shunya asked.

"Daddy, I need to know something. I heard what Mr. Sherwood said. Is there some kind of secret?" Kaname suddenly felt very scared. Part of her didn't want any answer at all. If there was something going on and her father lied it would be bad. But, it would be terrible if he told the truth, too.

"Kaname Chidori, you were eavesdropping on my personal conversation?" Shunya stiffened, his eyes growing angry. But, there was also a look of unease in his eyes.

"Yes, Daddy. You didn't answer my question. I think I have a right to know." Kaname felt like running back to her room and crawling under her bed. It had been a while since her father had shouted angrily at her, but she wouldn't be surprised if he did that now.

"You think…" Shunya clenched his fists. He took a deep breath and held it. He looked down at his feet. "There are certain matters that should be left to your elders, Kaname. I thought that I had taught you that before."

"I know. But you were also the one who lectured me on the importance of honesty." Kaname was certain that something wasn't right. Her father could have very easily said 'No', and then gone on to chastise her. "I need to know the truth, Daddy."

"I…" Shunya hung his head.

"What did you do, Daddy?" Kaname felt the tension thickening.

"You had earned the right to go to a good school, Kaname…" Shunya started.

"Tokyo University is a good school." Kaname said, her heart in her throat. Her father had done something after all.

"Yes. I know. But, the family needed to be together. I had made allowances before, thinking that things would be best for you that way. But… I… " Shunya put a hand to his head. "I regretted the decisions I made… especially since they were not based entirely on what was in your best interest, even if you ended up getting what you wanted…."

Kaname followed her father's gaze he was looking at a picture of her mother.

"My job made heavy demands on me. Your mother was no longer around to take care of you and your sister. I was raised in a family where fathers had little to do with their children… but I had tried to be different, because of Shizu." Shunya walked over and picked up a picture of himself, his wife, and his two daughters. "It looked to be a daunting task…taking care of a demanding high school aged girl…"

Kaname said nothing. She had always wondered about her father's decision to allow her to stay in Tokyo. Now it made more sense.

"It bothered me a great deal, once you were on your own here, and Ayame and I were living in America. But, I had given you my word. It ate at me more and more, but I could not bring myself to break that pledge." Shunya looked at Kaname, hoping to see some sign of gratitude.

"I see. I'm glad you let me stay here, Daddy." Kaname tapped one hand against her leg, wondering what her life would have been like had she stayed in the States.

"Yes," Shunya said. "I regretted my prior decision. "For my sake, and for Ayame." He held his hands out in front of him. "I was glad you found something here, however. I was proud that you had done so much on your own."

Kaname didn't say anything. Her father still hadn't gotten to the heart of the matter. Shunya looked hesitant to go on. But, he knew that he owed Kaname an explanation. Whatever took place after that, he would have to face the best he could.

"I didn't know about Sousuke when I convinced you to apply to Cornell. In a way. I'm glad I didn't. But, that is a moot point. Once I found out how much he meant to you, I was worried. Not just because of the risk that boy brings with him, but also because of what I had done." Shunya looked Kaname in the face. "It was too late to turn back. You had already been granted the scholarship."

"You bought my acceptance? With a donation, and by pulling some strings at work?" Kaname felt stunned at first. Everything seemed to come crashing down on her. All of the anguish she had felt was because of this? The pain that she had put Sousuke through was due to this?

"Yes." Her father looked ashamed. "It seemed like an ideal solution."

"For everybody but _me!" _Kaname felt her anger growing. She had been through enough. Her mother's death. The troubles in Junior High. Finding out she was Whispered. Suffering through all of those kidnappings. Now she had to deal with this too!

"I thought…" Shunya held his hands out again. "

No, Daddy. You _didn't!" _Kaname came close to shouting. "How could you do this to me? How could you do something dishonest like this?"

"This would have made all of our lives better, Kaname. I'm certain of that!" Shunya was being honest. He still believed that.

"The only thing I'm certain of is you lied to me. You let me believe that the scholarship is real. You used it to make me keep my promise. You knew how much my choice would hurt me." Kaname couldn't believe that any of this was happening.

"Kaname…"

"I trusted you, Daddy. With all of the things that happened to me… with all of the secrets and tricks and terrorist plots… I needed someone to trust." Kaname felt tears come to her eyes. "I thought it was you. But the person I should trust the most… I acted like I didn't care when he told me he loved me."

"Is this why you are acting like this? Sousuke?" Shunya's countenance clouded over. "That boy has no place in any of this."

"He does for me." Kaname said. "He has given everything to keep me safe. You are a thief and a liar."

"Kaname… I…"

"No. I'm sorry, Daddy. I shouldn't say that. I love you but…" Kaname began crying. "I can't stay here any more right now."

Her ears ringing, Kaname ran to her room, brushing against the wall a number of times. Grabbing her largest suitcase and one additional smaller bag, she headed for the front door.

"Kaname… please wait… running away won't make things better." Shunya made no physical effort to obstruct his daughter.

"Things couldn't get any worse," Kaname said as she left.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**xxxxx

"Please."

Kaname said a quick prayer before trying the lock. Sousuke had given her a spare key months ago. She hoped that he had not changed the lock since then.

After leaving her father's apartment, she needed some place to stay, at least for a little while. Kyoko, Maya, and Ryo were possibilities, but she didn't want to inconvenience any of their families. Her father might be able to find their numbers, and she wouldn't ask them to lie for her.

Naturally, she had knocked on Sousuke's door a number of times. She had rung the bell repeatedly, too. That was all out of courtesy. She doubted that Sousuke was in. She had checked with the desk manager downstairs. The bin marked 'Sagara, Sousuke, 3E' still held mail.

Would Sousuke mind if she stayed here for a while? It wasn't as if she would touch anything, or make any sensitive calls on the equipment. He might be headed out for good soon, but there was no sense in blowing his cover.

But, what if someone came looking for Sousuke. His picture had appeared on the news. There had been a fair number of camera men at the graduation too, and someone might have made some kind of connection. His cover may have already been compromised.

"It doesn't really matter, _does _it?"

Kaname didn't like the sound of her own voice. She sounded too fatalistic. That might be good enough for other people, but not her. She was Kaname Chidori. But, what Kaname Chiodri was she now? The Kaname Chidori wanting to attend Tokyo University? The Kaname Chidori that would go to Cornell University? The Kaname Chidori that would do none of the above?

The key worked. There were no booby traps. No one jumped out and attacked her. She would count those as plusses for now. The biggest plus was the fact that the room's furniture and all of Sousuke's things were still there. There had been a real chance that Mithril contractors could have some in. The 'cleaners' would have made certain that there was no sign that a Mithril operative had lived there.

"Do you mind if I put my stuff over there, Sousuke?" Kaname spoke to the room in general, feeling somewhat dramatic at the moment. "What's that? Oh, how daring! Of course I'll share your bed with you." Opening her suitcase, she threw the Bonta-Kun doll on Sousuke's pillow. "No, I won't respect you in the morning. How can I? I don't respect you now!" She laughed. If Sousuke were watching her, he'd think that she was out of her mind.

She caught herself. This really wasn't a great time for laughter. The whole scene with her father had been very ugly. She still felt sick to her stomach, learning that her father had been manipulating her. His heart may have been in the right place, but that didn't excuse the things that he had done.

"I wonder how Ayame will take this?" That was the thing that mattered the most to her at the moment. Her father would be worrying about what he had done, what she felt about him, and where she had gone. Unless her father told Ayame everything, her sister would be left in the dark, knowing only that her big sister might not be going back to America with her. That would snuff out all of her dreams, devastating her.

The urge to return for Ayame's sake had her feeling guilty. She couldn't do that. Not even for her sister. At least, not until she thought things through. It would be too easy to run back, try and forgive her father, and go ahead with things as planned. She didn't want to do that yet, if only for the principle of the matter.

"You probably hate me, don't you Sousuke? I shouldn't be too surprised, I guess. It would make everything just perfect."

Kaname was hungry. Not feeling like another walk outside, she made her way into Sousuke's kitchenette. "Do you mind?" She asked. Hearing no answer, she opened the refrigerator. She let the door swing closed, and took a step back. Tears came to her eyes.

Damn him! That big idiot should do a better job of cleaning out his refrigerator. He had left a wrapped portion of Trident in there, and it could very well be from the first day that he visited her at work. That had been the day they first kissed. Suddenly, her appetite was gone.

After that, Kaname busied herself putting her clothes away in any empty drawer she could find, almost feeling as if she would be sharing the apartment with Sousuke. When she was done, she took a long shower and put on her pajamas. Yawning more and more frequently, she wrote a letter to Sousuke. Some pages were close to being illegible, but she was too tired to rewrite them. The tear marks would show that big jerk how much she cared.

"Should we be doing this stuff at night? It feels cliché, and will look kind of suspicious."

The voice in the hallway caught Kaname's attention. She hoped the person speaking wasn't headed for Sousuke's apartment. It wasn't burglars, was it? That was just paranoia, right?

"_Shhhh. _Be quiet. Make certain that none of the neighbors are looking out when I open the door. There are some things we need to remove quickly, in case we are interrupted in our work."

That voice was right outside the door. What should she do? Could she make a phone call in time? What about the communications console? Did Sousuke leave any weapons behind? Kaname ran to check.

"Yeh, yeh. I know. But who's listening. I still think it's stupid to do this at night. Anybody outside will know when we turn the room light on."

Kaname quickly rummaged through the small closet where Sousuke kept his weapons. There were a number there, but some weren't loaded, and she didn't know where the safeties were on others. That moron! Why didn't he prepare for a situation like this? OK. That clip fit the Glock. There's hope now.

"The room light is already on! Cover me. Desk manager said that no one from the building had gone into his room since he left."

Too busy banging things around in the closet, Kaname hadn't heard that last part. Holding the pistol the way that Sousuke had taught her, she moved quickly to take up position just beyond one corner.

The door flew open. Someone reached inside and hit the wall switch. Things happened incredibly fast after that.

Kaname swore. There was still some light, coming in from the hall. Before she knew it, one man moved in fast, rolling across the floor.

"**Gun!**" The man shouted, calling out a warning to his partner. As he spoke, he brought his own weapon to bear on Kaname.

As the frightened girl tried to track the first man, the second intruder kicked the Glock out of her hand. He followed up with a leg sweep that brought her hard to the floor.

"**Shit!**" The man winced when Kaname punched him hard in the groin. _"Stay still!" _He put the cold muzzle of his pistol against her temple.

The first man closed the door and turned the light back on. "It's a girl."

"Ah Hell." The second man said. "What's a girl doing here?"

"Follow procedures," the first man said. "There's no telling who she is." He pointed at the pistol Kaname had been carrying. "She may well be more than just a girl."

"Oh really? How about asking?" Kaname knew that she shouldn't be flippant, but she couldn't help herself. It was a natural Sousuke-trained reaction. "What do you jerks think you are doing in Sousuke's apartment?"

"We'll be asking the questions, Miss. Sit down. On that chair." The second man took a pair of handcuffs out of his coat pocket. "It would be a bad idea to scream." He nodded to his partner, who was holding a taser.

"It's not 'Miss'. It's Kaname Chidori." She looked closer at the taser. "And you don't even have that thing turned on. Moron."

"Crap," one of the men said, slapping his hand against his forehead. He clearly recognized the name.

"Kaname Chidori. Why does that name sound familiar?" The other man walked around the room, looking out through the window to make certain no one was making a move on the building. He switched his taser on to a medium setting.

"You idiot!" The first man put away his cuffs and lowered his gun. "I'm sorry, Miss Chidori. There was no reason to expect _you _would be here." He looked over at his companion. "You _did _read up on Sgt. Sagara's dosier, didn't you?"

"I didn't have time after the last task. We were only coming her to clean up."

"I apologize. He's a good man in a fight, and a dedicated soldier, but his mind sometimes lags behind." The first man shook his head.

"I know the type!" Kaname huffed. "Maybe he's related to Sousuke." She looked down at her pajama top and blushed. She wasn't dressed to entertain! "Why are you here? To take down Sousuke's room?"

"We'll let you get dressed first. I am Sgt. Major Tokei, by the way. My partner is Sgt. Mussida." As the St. Major excused himself from the apartment, he explained who Kaname was. The words he used had a chilling effect. 'The girl that Sagara was once assigned to protect'.

Once. Not any more. So many doors had closed in her life.

When the men returned, Kaname was dressed in jeans and a pull-over. As they worked, she told them about her recent problems, feeling a need to talk. Out of kindness, the two soldiers told her that they would leave her the bed and the key. Checking their records, they informed her that the lease had not been renewed, but wouldn't run out for a couple of weeks yet.

"Thank you. I really appreciate you guys letting me stay here." Kaname felt close to tears. She wasn't sure why. The act of kindness had touched her more than it should.

"I do not understand. Shouldn't _I _be the one to decide who uses my apartment?" It was Sousuke. "Why are you here?" That question was for Kaname. He knew why Tokei and Mussida were there.

"**Sousuke! **I didn't think you were ever coming back. I'm so happy to see you!" Kaname jumped up, ready to run to him.

"What do you want, Kaname?" Sousuke's voice sounded wary. He wasn't certain exactly what he was feeling at the moment.

His reason for coming back to Tokyo had nothing to do with Kaname. He had an appointment to meet with people at the Komaba Campus who had been clandestinely contacted by Mithril representatives. He had given things a lot of thought. He wasn't ready to leave Tokyo yet, even though there would be painful memories there for him. It was time to give himself options for his future.

Finished, the cleaning team left after exchanging a few words with Sousuke. After they were gone, Sousuke stood in the middle of the near bare room. Things looked nothing like they did when Cmdr. Mardukas had kept him busy all night preparing for Tessa's visit. For some reason, that seemed like a life time ago. So many memories clamored for his attention.

Many of those memories centered on Kaname. He certainly hadn't expected to see her here now. His heart was in the throat at the sight of her, but he didn't want to set himself up for even more heartache. After she had refused to return his calls, he had decided that it was better for both of them if he never saw her again.

"I'm sorry," Kaname said. She flinched. Maybe Sousuke had stated hating her after all.

"Why are you here?" Sousuke asked.

"My father bought my scholarship to Cornell, Sousuke. He kept things from me. I just couldn't deal with it. I left home. I needed a place to stay." Kaname's eyes welled up with tears. She took a step towards Sousuke and stopped. "I need you."

"You do?" Sousuke didn't look convinced. He swallowed hard. He found himself desperately wanting to believe her.

"Everything else means nothing to me," Kaname said, taking another step. "Nothing else means anything. Only you." She fought back tears. "If I hurt you again, I'll die.

"Hurt me again?" Sousuke stiffened up. "There is no chance of _that_ happening." He didn't mean to sound so cold and unfeeling. He couldn't help himself. It was just one way to cope with his pain and fear. "Do not worry about it."

"I love you," Kaname said. It was the first time she had told him that. She hadn't even said that after they had made love that night.

"What?" Sousuke looked vulnerable for a moment, and then stiffened up again.

"I love you. How many more times do I have to say it?" Kaname was on the verge of pleading.

Sousuke thought for a moment. He ran a hand through his hair, looking around the room. He shook his head when he saw the Bonta-kun doll. Something like that did _not _belong in a Specialist's room. He looked over at Kaname. "One more time would be nice."

"I love you. Please, I love you." Kaname ran to Sousuke. She threw her arms around his neck, moving to kiss him. He pushed her away.

"I have one more question, Kaname. Do you just need _someone, _because of your sudden situation. Or, do you need _me?"_

"Sousuke… I…"

"You do not have to answer. Forget it. I do not care." He kissed Kaname and pulled her into a strong embrace.

"I need you. Sousuke, I really do."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Good morning, sleepy head."

Kaname looked over at Sousuke. He was laying next to her in bed.

"Kaname. You are awake early. Is there something wrong?" Sousuke tensed up and looked around the room by habit.

"No, you big idiot. Something is right." Kaname kissed Sousuke lightly on the forehead. "I really like what you've done to this place."

"I'm glad. It is all that we have for now." Sousuke looked around the room. All that was left was the bed, his weapons bag, and Kaname's suitcases.

"It's all that _I_ have now." Kaname said. "Well, I'll let you keep that stupid bag for nostalgia's sake, I guess."

"Huh?" Sousuke was puzzled. Just what nonsense was Kaname speaking now.

"You are _not_ allowed in the bed again, Sousuke. At least not for sleeping." Kaname blushed. She sounded a lot more worldly than she felt. "I hardly got any sleep last night."

"Uhhh… I apologize… was it bad?" Sousuke was pretty certain he knew what Kaname was talking about. He was a very light sleeper. After his childhood experiences, and his early life in the battlefield, he sometimes woke easily to the slightest noise. That had probably been exacerbated by the fact that Kaname was there. He was not used to sharing a bed with anyone.

"Yes. _Very _bad." Kaname looked serious at that instant. She had been frightened out of her wits at some times, and jarred out of her sleep at others.

"I… I do not know… I'm not certain what can be done about it…" Sousuke looked concerned.

"I do." Kaname smiled.

"Kaname?" Sousuke cocked his head. Why was Kaname smiling like that?

"You can do what you used to do, Sousuke." She tossed her hair when he didn't guess the correct answer. "You can sleep under the bed. _Hmmmpppfff!"_

"Ahhhh. Hmmm. Perhaps I will simply get rid of the bed. That way there will be plenty of space, and we will each of us be on equal footing."

"You would make me sleep on the floor, Sousuke?" Kaname sat up, looking down at Sousuke. "You might want to take a few moments to think before you answer."

"Uhhh…"

"I thought so," Kaname said, nodding her head. "Wimp." She smiled, leaned over, and gave Sousuke a kiss.

"If you say so, Kaname." Sousuke scratched his head. "There may be hope, however. I have indeed slept in a bed with others. It…" He stopped. He would not go there. He may still be clueless, but not _that_ clueless.

"Huh? Boot camp?" Kaname guessed.

"Negative. Not boot camp." Sousuke began to sweat. He couldn't control that. It might prove his undoing.

"On the submarine? I never got to see your cabin when I was onboard."

"No. Not on Da Danaan." Sousuke didn't have any hope that Kaname would simply drop this line of questioning. She would consider finding out the answer a challenge of sorts. His days might be numbered.

"_When, _Sousuke?" Kaname raised one eyebrow. She frowned. Why was the big stupid head sweating like that.

"Uhhh…"

"**WHEN.**" Kaname said loudly.

"You should recall. You were here. Melissa was here as well. And…" Sousuke swallowed hard.

"Say it, Sousuke. Say her name." Kaname's smile was crooked.

"Tessa."

"Why was that so hard?" Kaname grinned. It had been fun watching Sousuke get nervous. "Although, I have to wonder why you were so calm when _she_ was in bed with you, and not when I was."

"I do not know." Sousuke had decided on his strategy. The best defense was a good offense. "But, if you like, tonight I will pretend you are Tessa." That ought to do it.

"**W-H-A-T?" **Kaname pinched Sousuke, hard. "You had better not even joke like that." She held her fingernails up for Sousuke to see. "Do you hear me?"

"Affirmative." Sousuke had to fight to keep from grinning. "There were other times I was at peace, however. When I was very young. I slept with the women who acted like surrogate mothers to me."

"Oh. Really?" Kaname was about to say that was cute, until she remembered why Sousuke needed surrogate mothers. "If that will work, you can imagine that. OK?"

"Do you really want me too?" Sousuke stretched.

"I said it, didn't I?" Kaname tossed her hair, hitting Sousuke in the face with it.

"Yes, but…"

"Not 'buts', mister. If you know what's good for you, there will be no repeat of last night. The sleeping part. Do you understand?" Kaname shook her fist at Sousuke.

"I will do as you suggest." Sousuke kept a straight face. His eyes gave him away.

"What's so funny, Sousuke?" Kaname watched as he got out of bed and began walking towards the bathroom.

"When I ran away from the orphanage and became part of the Mujahaideen, I was made to sleep in the Woman's tent." Sousuke stopped, turned, and watched Kaname's face.

"And…" Kaname knew there must be something more.

"The women who looked after me were camp followers." Sousuke stretched again. "Prostitutes."

"**SOUSUKE!**"

Kaname's prowess as an athlete came to the fore. She was out of the bed before Sousuke knew it. But, his reactions were even quicker. He turned and rab for the bathroom.

"_Come back here!" _Kaname ran into him when he turned and stopped.

"Have you changed your mind, Kaname?" Sousuke tried to look clueless on purpose this time.

"Yes!" Kaname put her hands on her hips. "I'm going back with my father and Ayame. I was better treated there, all things considered. _Hmmmpppfff!"_

"That may be a good idea," Sousuke said. "I am being serious."

Kaname shook her head, and then looked down at her feet.

"You have family, Kaname. They love you. That is an important thing." Sousuke pushed some hair away from Kaname's head. He lifted her chin up. "One should not wait to take care of injuries."

"Sousuke…"

"In in the field, wounds are kept open and accessible, not covered over. That reduces the chance of gangrene." Sousuke said. "But, should significant tissue death occur, the involved limb must be tended to immediately, so that the situation does not get worse. Hesitating to remove a toe may lead to the loss of a leg. Failure to remove the leg may lead to sepsis and death."

"You use such colorful aalogies, Sousuke." Kaname quipped.

"The point I made is valid just the same." Sousuke tried to look Kaname in the eyes. She wouldn't meet his gaze.

"I don't want to see my father, Sousuke."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Sousuke looked down the stairs at the car.

He sighed. Kaname was still seated behind the wheel, showing no intention of undoing her seatbelt. At least she hadn't dropped him off and driven away. That was a start.

There was no sense in waiting. He wanted to speak to Shunya. Kaname might still follow her usual routine of saying one thing, and then doing the opposite thing at the last moment. Things might be different this time, however. She had been badly hurt.

A push of the doorbell set chimes ringing. After a few moments, the sound of footsteps could be heard. The door opened. "Sousuke!" Ayame looked as if she had been crying. "Kaname's not here. We don't know where she is."

"It is OK. She is fine. Her car is parked below. If you like…" Sousuke stepped aside as Ayame rushed out the door and down the steps, headed for Kaname.

"Did I hear you correctly, young man. Did you say that Kaname is here?" Shunya stepped out of the door onto the small concrete porch.

"Yes, Sir. She won't get out of the car. She drove me all the way here… she said that she should come too… but she won't get out of the car. I thought it was important that she speak to you. But she may not wish to do so at this time." Sousuke looked down at the red Toyota Mark X. Ayame had gotten into the passenger seat and was hugging Kaname.

"I… my daughter… we…" Shunya paused. He looked worn and tired, his eyes haunted. He was not going to go over the details of his falling out with Sousuke standing out on his porch. No doubt Kaname had already done so. "I should have guessed that she would run to you." There was hint of disapproval in his voice.

"She did not." Sousuke said. "She ran from you." He was not usually one to use words as weapons, but he wanted to make that point clear. "It is not the first time that she has done so." Sousuke referenced the time Kaname ran away from home, when she was seven years old. She had been registered as missing at Izumigawa Police Department, located the following day, and returned home.

"That is…" Shunya had been about to say that it was family business. But, he had to admit, the young mercenary had a point. Kaname had run away this time because of something that her father had done, not something that she had done herself.

"Kaname went to my apartment, not expecting me to be there, wondering if I would ever return to Tokyo. I had given her a spare key. She needed somewhere to stay, somewhere you wouldn't find her." Sousuke paused. He watched the play of emotions on Shunya's face. It had to be hard for a father, hearing something like that.

"I see." Shunya pushed his glasses up a bit, and then looked down at Kaname's car. He had received a number of offers for the vehicle, but would not set it without his daughter's say so. It was her car, titled in her name. "You came home and found her at your apartment."

"That is correct. Actually, a team of agents sent in to clean out the apartment stumbled upon her. By coincidence, I arrived an hour or so after that."

"Did she… did Kaname talk about her troubles?" Shunya squared his shoulders. That was the wrong way to put it. The onus rested on his shoulders. "Did she mention my actions? Has she made a decision on what she is going to do?" The answer to that last question was what he was after.

"Yes to the first, no to the second. I do not think she is in any condition to make decisions of that sort, at least not in a way that would serve her well." Sousuke relaxed his stance some, as a strong breeze teased at his hair. "I would not be surprised if she decided to attend Tokyo University with me."

"How's that?" Before… you said…" Shunya suddenly looked perturbed. At dinner, Sousuke had told everyone that he had not applied to college, and was uncertain about his future. "Are you saying that you are going to apply, hoping to get in next year, as away to entice my daughter to stay in Tokyo?"

"Negative. Successful efforts on my behalf have led to my acceptance this year. That was the reason that I returned to Tokyo last night." Sousuke did not take Shunya's blunt accusation with any rancor. He had faced much worse from Cmdr. Mardukas, Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin, and Melissa. Such was the life of a soldier. "I had a meeting scheduled with University officials today, to work out the necessary details. I postponed that, in order to bring Kaname here."

"I see. My apologies. I should thank you for that." Shunya stood looking at Sousuke. He did not approve of Sousuke's profession, and was frightened of his history of rash action and trouble. But, despite that, he found himself respecting the young man. "Does she know about your acceptance?"

"I have told her, Sir. She was not pleased at first." He lowered his eyes and brushed some lint off of his sleeve.

"_Oh?"_ Shunya raised an eyebrow. When Sousuke looked up, he froze. For a brief instant, the older man resembled Cmdr. Mardukas.

"She was quite indignant. I had received my entrance through unfair influence. She had earned her acceptance through diligence and hard work. That alone earned me some unpleasant moments." Sousuke rubbed his head. There was a small swelling there. Kaname had been playing that time, but didn't know her own strength. It had brought back memories. "Things got worse when she realized the similarity to your dealings with Cornell."

"I see," Shunya pushed his glasses even further up. There was obviously something on his mind. "So you have thought about your future. That's commendable. Things often turn out for the better." He looked down at the car again, hoping those words would hold true for their relationship. "Have you thought about whether or not your continued presence in Kaname's life would be a good thing for her?"

"Sir?" Sousuke had given the subject some thought. But, there were various issues involved. He wasn't certain where Shunya was headed.

"I'm not talking about the danger issue. You two seem to have an unfortunate ability to find trouble together." Shunya's posture told what he thought about that fact. "It may be that you are the best qualified to keep her safe… _if_ there would ever be troubles again…?

Sousuke stood silently. He had thought about those very points before. He would rather be in danger with someone he loved, than be safe and alone. But, he couldn't help but wonder if Kaname's life might be simpler and better, were he not around.

"I have made phone calls. It is possible that the more active terrorist groups would be far more hesitant to act in North America than they would be in the eastern nations. Who can say for sure? It only takes one such act to ruin lives." Shunya could still remember the day that the Twin Towers came down. It had shaken him in a way that was near indescribable. "Once we make the presumption that she will no longer be bothered by such things, what are we left with?"

"What…"

"Sousuke… you know… my daughter is a lot different than you." Shunya didn't want to be chauvinistic or demeaning, but there was a glaring truth he needed to speak about.

"That is true." Sousuke was well aware of that fact. Sometimes he thought that Kaname would be better off with someone like Fuwa, the boy she went with to the amusement park. At other times, we wondered if their successful teamwork came from their being different, each of them with unique skills and insights.

"She has been very successful." Shunya paused. "In constructive things."

"I know." Sousuke didn't miss the not so subtle inference. His own success lay in destructive things.

"Kaname is also very talented." Shunya straightened his shirt collar. He stood taller.

"I had opportunity to see that at school." Sousuke thought back to reports that Kaname had given… events that she had arranged… crafts that she had worked on during Art Class. He remembered the early incident with the bust he had destroyed.

"Kaname has such a bright future ahead of her. If she needs anyone at all, she needs someone who can help her move forward, not someone who will hold her back." Shunya spoke with a sudden passion. He really did love his daughter.

"I would do my best in that regard, Sir, should Kaname chose to be a part of my life." Sousuke sounded less passionate, but his love for Kaname was not in doubt.

"Even if you were to leave your profession… an employment that has good chance of taking you away from your loved ones forever… you might not be a permanent part of her life." Shunya set his jaw and spoke with a stern voice. "It gives me no pleasure to say this, but you may be nothing more than a distraction."

"Sir… I…" That statement hit Sousuke square in the heart. It was a secret fear of his.

"That fact may not be a problem today. It may not be one tomorrow. But, can you promise her that it won't be a problem later on, after she has already made important decisions because of you?" Shunya looked very intense.

"I cannot make such a promise," Sousuke said. But instead of looking glum or hanging his head, he spoke with his own fervor. "Who can, Sir? She knows a great deal about me. I love her. Last night, she told me that she feels the same. Who can say what she might find with someone else?"

"I just worry that a life with you would leave her mired in mediocrity. It's a fear that any father of a gifted girl might feel. I don't mean that as an insult. I'm simply sharing my true feelings." Shunya looked down at the car again. Kaname was still seated behind the wheel. "That isn't easy for me…"

"I understand, Sir. If I may, there are some things I should say about your daughter." Sousuke tried to find the right words. He had an important point to make and didn't wain to bollix it up.

"Go ahead." Shunya was truly interested. To be honest, he felt somewhat envious towards the young operative. Sousuke had gotten to know a lot about Kaname, while he himself had been living continents away, learning what he could through letters and phone calls.

"There is one thing you can be sure about Kaname Chidori. She will _not_ settle for mediocrity." Sousuke rubbed his head again. "I learned that the hard way, when she was tutoring me. I also saw proof in her actions at school. Any of her teachers of classmates could vouch for that fact."

"I'm glad to hear that." Shunya said.

"There is something else. No one wishes to be put in life or death situations. Not everyone can function in such traumatic and swift-moving times. Kaname has proven to be more than resilient, Sir. She has a brave heart, a strong spirit, and a sharp mind."

"You are saying?" Shunya knew that there was a point that the young agent wanted to make.

"I think she is qualified to make her own decisions, Sir. While she is not perfect, and makes her share of mistakes, I believe that she is capable of recognizing her errors." Sousuke hoped that she wouldn't see him as an error or mistake some day. "Despite all that she has been through, Kaname does not let bad decisions bring her down. She does not give up and act as if there is no way out."

"I see." Shunya wished that he could be certain of that. "If that is true, then she is a lot like me in that regards." He looked somewhat pained for a moment, but retained his composure.

"Are you alright, Sir?" Sousuke had seen Shunya's reaction. He could guess how he might feel.

"I don't deserve to lose my daughter over this. I don't deserve hearing this all through a go-between. But, I won't go down there if she doesn't want me to." Shunya went on to speak in a more conversational tone, but the pain in his eyes remained. "I hid things from her. That was wrong. But, I thought I was doing what would be best for her."

"She's your daughter, Sir. But, she is no longer a child." Sousuke sounded older than his years.

"I know." Shunya's voice was hushed. "She has grown up so much since she moved away from us."

"I have a letter here, for you" Sousuke reached into his pocket and took out a folded envelope. "Kaname actually wrote two different letters."

"Two?" Shunya reached out and took the envelope, smoothing out some wrinkles.

"Affirmative. There was one that said 'You can't know the horrible disappointment I feel. I am so angry and so upset, that I could hate you'." Sousuke had suggested that Kaname take some time to think and write a second note. She had been reluctant, but threw herself into her writing once she started.

Shunya looked down at the envelope.

"The other letter said 'I still can't help loving you'. Perhaps she sent that version." Sousuke frowned. "She wouldn't tell me which one was in the enevelope."

"I would hope…." Shunya stopped speaking. Sousuke turned to follow the other man's gaze. Kaname had gotten out of the car and was heading up the stairs.

Wanting to give them their privacy, he headed down to where Ayame was standing. In passing, Kaname touched his hand, and then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He heard her first words.

"Hello, Daddy."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Dinner will be ready in a bit."

Kaname was working in the kitchen at her apartment. It was a very nice kitchen, in a better than average apartment. The rent was more than her father had wanted to pay, so she needed to work part-time to help pay for things. She didn't mind. There was no way that she wanted to live in the Tokyo University dorms.

"That is good. I am hungry. Your cooking makes it much easier to study well."

Sousuke sat in the firmest chair in the living room area. Some habits never change. He would not use the large overstuffed chair, as he sank to far back into it. That made it difficult to draw his pistol quickly or make it to his feet with adequate balance.

"Thank you, Sousuke. Did I tell you that I love you today?" Kaname's voice was accompanied by a loud chopping noise.

"No, you did not." Sousuke shook his head. He knew exactly what Kaname would say next.

"Ah well." There was the sound of something being thrown on a hot pan. Sizzling followed.

Sousuke smiled. They had almost finished the first part of the academic year. College life had been good so far, with no serious events aside from the usual Kaname-Sousuke mishaps. He thought back to the time following graduation and was glad that things had worked out between Kaname and her father.

"What would you like to drink Sousuke?" Kaname spoke as she worked on a number of different dishes in rapid succession. She cooked for Sousuke almost every night.

"Water." Sousuke answered.

"OK. Tea." Kaname started singing quietly as she continued cooking.

Sousuke shrugged. He wasn't unhappy. He would actually prefer tea. But, if he had said 'tea', Kaname would have said something else.

"I am glad that the first break is coming up. We could both use a vacation."

"I could use a vacation, Sousuke. _You_ could use the time studying." Kaname began whistling a happy tune.

"It was very generous of your father to send us that gift. I am especially gratified to see that he included me." Sousuke ignored Kaname's last comment. While she might be doing better than he was, he had surprised her and his comrades at Mithril with his exam results. "It will be nice to visit the Dogo Onsen. It is one of Japan's oldest hot spring resorts, and it is said that Prince Shotoku enjoyed the area's hot spring waters about 1500 years ago."

"Good for him. We're not going." Kaname busied herself setting the table. It was one of the rules. Sousuke would not eat protein bars, MREs, or buttered rolls in her presence. He would also eat at a nicely set table like a civilized person.

"The main attraction is the Dogo Onsen Honkan, a _Meiji _Period wooden public bathhouse, dating from 1894. Besides bathing, the elegant complex offers tea, Japanese sweets, and private rooms for relaxation after the bath. The brochure is very thorough. The setting looks much nice than the hot springs we visited with Kurz, Melissa, Tessa, and our friends." Sousuke watched as Kaname busied herself polishing the dinnerware.

"I'm glad that you're practicing your reading. But, we're still not going." Kaname muttered under her breath, looking at one of the glasses. She would have to switch to a different dish-washing liquid.

"Dogo Hot Spring is the oldest hot spring in Japan, mentioned even in the oldest book _'Nihon Shoki.'_ The top of the main building is decorated with the legendary white heron and a large drum is beat at 6:30 every morning announces the opening of the bath. These things lend an exotic atmosphere to the historic hot spring." Sousuke reminded himself to ask Mithril personnel to perform a security sweep of the Honkan if possible.

"Have a nice time, Sousuke. Send me a post card." Kaname began making the tea. "But, if you leave me here by myself, _don't_ bother coming back. We… are… _not_… going…"

"Ahhhh. There are certainly interesting attractions to see in Matsuyama. The castle… Matsuyamajo… is considered one of the most beautiful of Japan's few remaining original castles. Situated on a steep but flat topped hill, the castle is one of only three Japanese castles with multiple wings." Sousuke put that on his mental list of 'must sees'. "Matsuyamajo was constructed from 1602 to 1628. In 1635 the castle was assigned to a branch of the Matsudaira family… relatives of the Tokugawa… and remained in their hands until the end of the feudal era. The current three-storied castle tower was constructed in 1820 after the original five storied one was destroyed by lightening."

"Fascinating. It would be easier to read about it in a book. _Hmmmpppfff!"_ Kaname decided to fix Sousuke a glass of ice water. It's what he asked for. And she knew that he probably wanted tea.

"Hmmmm. There is something you would like. There is a park in front and back of the palace. The _'Citrus Fruit and Flower Garden'_ is located in the front palace site, while the _'Ryusuien Garden'_ is at the back palace site. The garden copies the palace floor plan, using trees, flowers, gravels and rocks. The _'Rinsentei Garden'_ in the eastern area features 'Wabi' and 'Sabi' with ponds and waterfalls against a back of rock. A remarkable Ohido remains unchanged from its original state."

"There are gardens in Tokyo, Sousuke." Kaname began bringing the food out to the table.

"Oh. Here is something for your recent sweet tooth. Tart, the notable sweet of Matsuyama, has a very unique flavor and delicacy, different from other Western-style confections. The cake from Holland was brought back to Matsuyama, where it was changed into a unique flavored confection. The sweet bean paste flavored with Shikoku cropped citron is rolled in castella. It has become a very refined cake with the cut roll with bean filling forming the Japanese kana character 'no'." Sousuke's stomach rumbled.

"I have to watch my figure, stupid head. If you keep annoying me, that's all _you'll_ be able to do." Kaname made it a point to walk on one particular side of the table. It would give Sousuke a good view of her backside.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke froze. That was a serious threat. He tried not to watch Kaname again, but failed. "A Specialist is trained to deal with whatever hardships might arise." He smiled when he saw Kaname clench her fist. She hated his 'Specialist' spiels. "It was also considerate for your father to provide us with the railway tickets."

"Time to eat!" Kaname banged a knife against a ceramic dish. "We are not going that far on a train."

"It is a long trip, but it would be worth it. It would also provide us with additional opportunities. We will travel south, missing Sendai. But, we could visit Maya and Tohoku University on another occasion. As it is, we could stop in Nagoya to see Ryo; take time to see Kyouko in Kyoto; and makes plans to meet Shinji in Osaka." Sousuke had found himself missing his high school friends. He had been making new friends, but so far it hadn't been the same. "Upon reaching Okayama, we can cross the Seto Inland Sea via the Seto-Ohashi Bridge. The express trains between Okayama and Matsuyama make the trip in two and one half hours."

"Sousuke, we are not… I repeat not… going on that trip!" Kaname sat down at the table.

"Why not?" Sousuke sat down too after pushing Kaname's chair in for her. "I thought that you no longer resented your father for his actions."

"Don't be any more of an idiot than you have too, Sousuke. I love my father. _Sheeesh!"_ Kaname spoke freely, with no change in her face. She had gotten over the events of the past and always tried to look ahead.

Sousuke let things rest for a while. He and Kaname talked about a number of different things while they ate. When it was time to clear the table, he lent a hand.

"So, what would make you skip the opportunity to visit friends and spend time at a nice resort? If my memory serves me well, I remember you saying that you wanted to do just those things."

"Sousuke. We are not going. I am not riding on a train." Kaname closed her eyes and mumbled a curse. She shouldn't have said that last part.

"Huh? What is the problem with trains? The safety of the Japanese railways is not an issue. You ride the city trains often enough." Sousuke was perplexed.

"_Sousuke…" _Kaname tapped he butt of her knife against the table.

"I am quite puzzled by this. Perhaps…"

"**SOUSUKE!" **Kaname slammed her hand down. "Listen to me. No. Trains."

After that, Sousuke let the matter drop. Later in the evening, when Kaname was in the shower, he found the small book that she kept her personal phone numbers in. He called Shunya, curious about Kaname's reaction.

"There's a story behind that. I thought that she would have been over things long ago." Shunya chuckled. "It was a while ago. Back when she went with her mother and I on a long trip across Japan. It was her first trip on a train.

"She was afraid of trains?" Sousuke asked.

"Yes. She had become convinced that trains moved to fast to stay on the tracks. There had been some footage of a train wreck spread across the papers and television. Somehow, she became convinced that she would be involved in a crash."

"But, that was as a child. She uses the city trains frequently, without showing the slightest problem." Sousuke heard Shunya tell Ayame to put the other handset down.

"She probably still has some kind of mental association. It was a rather traumatic time for her. She had this mental checklist. She was certain that a train couldn't crash, if there were babies aboard. There were. But, when they all started crying in succession, she was convinced that they knew something she didn't."

"What happened?" Sousuke sensed a story in the making.

"Well, when we were halfway between Tokyo and our destination, the babies started crying. They were all inconsolable. It was too much for Kaname." Shunya sighed. "She started screaming. Not just any scream, mind you. It sounded like someone was strangling her. I have never in my life heard a scream like that."

"I see." Sousuke said.

"It didn't happen once. It happened every time even one baby cried after that original episode. It got so bad, that the railroad marshals had us get off the train… wait for the next train to pass through the given station… and then sit in the last car, where there were no other passengers." Shunya paused. "They asked us to never take her on a train again."

"You promised? I can't see her feeling that she need continue such an obligation." Sousuke scratched his head. He heard the sound of the shower door close. He didn't have a lot of time.

"That's something you will need to ask Kaname. There is more to the story. There was somebody on the original train who worked for a recording studio. Months later, we received a telephone call from the man, who told us that he was putting together a special effects record. He wanted to know if he could use the recording he had made on the train. He doubted that it could be duplicated by Kaname in the studio, and thought it was perfect for his needs."

"You gave them permission?" Sousuke aksed.

"Yes. They used the scream in numerous applications, including a number of television commercials. While my daughter may have forgiven me over the incident with Cornell University, she has never gotten over my decision to let the man use her scream."

When Kaname came out from the shower dressed in her pajamas, she found Sousuke busy with his homework. Pulling up a chair next to him, she started working on her own assignments. Just as she began yawning, ready to call it quits for the night, Sousuke spoke up in a nonchalant tone of voice.

"So, why are you worried about traveling by train?"

"_Ooooooooooh._ OK. This is the last I'm going to say on the subject. We went on a plane. What happened? We were kidnapped. We went on a cruise ship. What happened?"

"Kidnapped," Sousuke answered.

"So, it only stands to reason, if we go on a train, we'll get kidnapped. That's it. End of story. I'm going to bed. You can join me, or go back to your apartment and read about trains." Kaname got up from the table.

"I see. A bit superstitious I suppose, but understandable." Sousuke tried not to smile. "Would you be less concerned if I could promise you there would be no babies on the train?"

"What?" Kaname hadn't made the connection yet.

"If it matters, I would also make certain that no one records your screams." Sousuke closed his book and shuffled his papers together.

"_What!" _Kaname had no doubt what Sousuke must be referring to.

"That way, you won't end up on any more commercials." Sousuke smiled.

"**W-H-A-T!"**

Kaname shook her fist at Sousuke. "Did you call my father? He told you that story? Ahhhh. I'll kill him."

Sousuke took something out of his pocket. It was a small recording device he used in class whenever a professor was speaking too quickly for him to take notes. He held it up and pushed a button.

"W-H-A-T!"

It was a recording of Kaname's shout.

"That's it! Out. Get out of my apartment!" Kaname walked over and opened the door for the young soldier. "It may be a while before I want to see you again."

Sousuke gathered up his things, saluted, and then walked out into the hallway.

"Sousuke! Just where do you think you're going?" Kaname stood with her hands on her hips.

"What? You said…"

"I said 'It may be a while before I want to see you again.' The key word was 'may'." Kaname pulled Sousuke into the room and gave him a long kiss. "Big idiot."

"So, no train trip?" Sousuke asked when she grabbed his hand and started pulling him after her.

"Don't be stupid, Sousuke. Of course we're going. It was a gift from my father. It would be rude to refuse."

Sousuke just sighed. Before he could say anything, Kaname almost jerked his arm out of the socket.

"Come on!"

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THE END

That's it. I put in as much of 'Say Anything' as I could. I hope those who saw the movie had fun reading this story.


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